Paul
by Weezila
Summary: Paul is not an overly dramatic guy. Well, at least not until he started dating Sally Jackson, and life got a lot less boring and a whole lot more... complicated, to say the least. Still, the greatest surprise of his lifetime is yet to come.
1. Gloomy

**Hello internet. **

**These chapters are going to be semi-short for me, 'cause it makes it easier to write. Hopefully, with that notion, I can actually finish a freakin story. **

**I'm not totally into the deep research for every little story I do, so I'm going with the general guidelines I know Paul to have been interwoven in the story. Generally. Kind of. **

**Yeah, so don't hate me if the timelines a bit screwy. **

**Enjoy **

"Percy, you're an idiot."

"Gee, Annabeth, I can really feel the love."

"No, seriously, you're an idiot."

"Again, I feel so loved."

Annabeth scoffed and made to punch him in the shoulder, but stopped herself, and with an effort, managed to place her hands in her lap and intertwine them tensely.

"I'm being nice to you, if you couldn't tell." She said through gritted teeth.

"I wish you wouldn't, it's weirding me out." Percy commented dully, leaning back into the seat of the taxi they were taking home. Well, Percy was going home, and Annabeth was coming with him for some reason he couldn't understand. He didn't want to right now either.

Things were still stressed between them, the whole Luke thing was difficult, plus the war, plus Bianca and Zoe and Nico…

_Gods_, he was just so _tried._

"Well I'm _going_ to be nice to you, so get used to it!" She snapped, glaring out the window.

"Well, I said I don't want you to." Percy snapped back.

"Why?" She demanded turning back to him angrily. "Because you want to sulk in self-pity about something you didn't so? For things you can't change? For the whole freaking world and the screwed up gods and titans and fates?" Thunder rumbled overhead. She glared at the sky.

"No, I want to mourn the loss of my friends," Percy huffed. "I want to feel bad they died. I want to worry about Nico, I want to be scared for one freakin minute, but I can't."

"Why? Too macho to care? To confident in your own infallibility to care if you die and the world ends? What can't you just admit you're scared and guilty and miserable, everyone else is! It would make it a lot easier on all of us if you didn't have to be _so-"_

"Because I'm _not_. I'm tired Annabeth, I'm tired."

"Being tired makes it so you can't be scared?" She scoffed.

"Yes, it does. I just want to sleep, and wake up when I'm sixteen. I want Nico to be ok, I want Zoe and Bianca back. Hell, I even want Thalia back, but life just sucks, doesn't it?"

"This isn't like you." She sniffed. "You, who's always so annoyingly upbeat and positive. _This_ is why I'm coming with you. I like your mom, and if you act this way with her, it'll hurt her and you'll forever be the ass that made your saint-of-a-mother cry, so I'm saving your behind on this one. You _better _get used to me being nice, because it's gonna happen until you snap out of it."

"Well I don't want you to!"

"Oh right, you want to wallow in misery, right?"

"Yes! For a few days!"

"Well, sucks. Until you're you again, get used to me being nice."

"This is a strange argument." Percy noted randomly, and it seemed to de-rail Annabeth. She decided to fall silent, shaking her head in disbelief and admiration. She knew Percy was feeling lower than he ever had before. He tried to tell her about is promise to Nico, but he couldn't even find the words. Percy _never_ had an issue with speaking his mind, much less to her, and it was a sentiment how badly he felt for the ten-year-old kid out there probably fighting off monsters as they sat here in a warm car, how guilty he felt. She knew she couldn't convince Percy it wasn't his fault, he was too caring, and she did acknowledge he deserved some break and a moment or two to grieve, but at the same time, he needed to be better. Everyone was looking to him. Percy didn't realize how scared everyone else was, how much they looked to the son of Poseidon for guidance, to take the cues from. He was their leader, he couldn't fall apart, which was why she was going to make sure he got his act together before going about his normal life. If these scars didn't heal properly, there is going to be some real issues for people.

So, despite their awkwardness and the tension constantly between them, she was going to make sure he got over this. She told herself it was for the good of the world, nothing more.


	2. Welcome Home

**Hello internet. **

**Because I forgot last chapter: I don't own anything. Wish I did, I'd be rich. **

**Any-hoo, enjoy **

Usually, Sally would be curled up with a book, trying desperately to escape this world and the worry for her son when he went away on quests. On nights like these, where she didn't know where her son was, when she was left out, when she was the mortal who had to sit patiently and wait for those more powerful to take care of things.

Even if one of those powerful people was her little boy.

But tonight, she was distracting herself with something she hadn't ever thought possible.

A date.

That was, until the front door opened an hour before Paul was supposed to arrive.

"Percy!" She dropped the table cloth she had in her hand on the table and ran to him, noticing the haggard appearance, the tired circles under his eyes, the blank look on his face as she rushed up and wrapped him in a hug. He usually looked like that after a quest, but she instinctively knew this was different. As she hugged him, she saw Annabeth behind him, smiling softly, yet very sadly, looking just as tired and aged as her son. The two usually bickered, but she looked almost…_ worried_ for Percy.

Something was wrong. She pulled back and placed her hands on either side of his cheeks. With a start, she saw a streak of gray in his pitch-black hair. His eyes looked pained, his smile half-hearted, and she knew he didn't want her to say 'are you ok' or 'hush, you're safe now' or any other coddling things the mother inside her wanted to say. He was obviously not ok, he was obviously very suddenly an adult. Not like when he was twelve and they world depended on him kind of a grown up, but a war-ravaged, broken-down, just-saw-the-world-at-its-darkest kind of adult, when he was just a little boy. Just her baby.

He didn't want her fussing or her worrying, that would play down what he'd seen, what he'd done. He didn't need that.

"Welcome home." She smiled gently, pulling him into another shorter hug. This time, he wrapped his arms tighter around her and pulled her closer too, hugging back rather than letting her hug him. She felt him breath in and then they parted.

"Hey, mom." He smiled back, his smile slightly more sincere.

"Hello Annabeth, it's so nice to see you too, come in, please," She pulled Annabeth inside and pushed both of them to the living room.

"Mom, were you expecting someone?" Percy stopped, noticing the dining room table set up for two, and the smell of dinner being started in the kitchen.

"Oh, uh," She'd completely blanked on Paul for a second. "Remember my friend Paul?" She noticed Annabeth cock an eyebrow, but Percy just blinked.

"Oh, yeah. Were you…" His eyes widened as something seemed to click. "Uh… sorry to interrupt your, uh, date." His cheeks were flushed red, obviously incredibly awkward and Annabeth bit her lips to keep from smiling.

"No." She said firmly. "You live here, you're not interrupting. I just… I never know when you're coming back, and we had this paper yesterday and then I just…"

"Mom, it's ok, I can go out for ice cream or something for a bit, you know?" He smiled, but it was strained. He was honestly trying to accept her dating, and for that she was grateful.

"Percy, you don't have to run, this is your home too. I'd love it if you met Paul, though if you don't want to…"

"No, I'll… ok, let's have dinner." He smiled awkwardly again. Annabeth suddenly didn't look amused anymore, only worried.

"Please, Annabeth if you'd stay, we'd love to have you as well." The blonde girl blinked in surprise but smiled and nodded as well.

"Seaweed brain, you haven't slept in gods know how long, go take a shower or something, the water will make you feel good." She dismissed her friend who rolled his eyes but didn't argue.

"And some nectar!" Sally called after him and he waved a hand over his shoulder in a general acknowledgement. Once alone they girls moved to the kitchen, and Annabeth took a seat while Sally went to make sure dinner wasn't burning.

"Ms. Jackson?" Annabeth said.

"Please honey, call me Sally, really." The dark haired woman smiled at her. Despite the state of her son, she was infinitely happier now that he was home and she knew where he was.

"Uh… Sally… I was thinking I might stay in the area for a day or two, if you don't mind me hanging around here."

"Not at all honey! You're welcome any time!" Annabeth seemed a little choked up at that, but got over it quickly.

"Um… I thought I might stay for Percy… until he's… back to normal."

Sally sighed silently. "I suppose there's a good reason he's acting so down? I know quests are hard, but he usually can't stop talking, either about the quest or anything but to get his mind off it."

Annabeth was silent for a moment. "Two girls died on this quest. Percy blames himself." She said quietly, and Sally turned off the stove and turned around, putting a hand on her mouth.

"Oh my gods… those poor girls." She looked sadly at the floor.

"One was thousands of years old," Annabeth comforted lightly. "named Zoe. But Bianca was only thirteen. Worse still, before they left, Percy promised Bianca's little brother he would take care of her, and…"

"How did the boy take it?" Sally said, instantly concerned.

"Badly." Annabeth grimaced. "It only happened a few hours ago. He was only ten, and it turns out he has some pretty big powers, because he lost it and took it out on Percy. He ran away… we looked everywhere, but… no one expects him to live another few days. Lone demigods that young, with the scent he has…"

"An all around terrible day." Sally mumbled. "Of course Percy blames himself. He wouldn't be our Percy if he didn't." She didn't fail to notice Annabeth give a small but brief smile when she said 'our Percy'.

"No, he wouldn't be. But Ms. Jackson, uh, Sally, we need him. It might be strange, but he's our camp's leader. If he falls apart now, when big things are brewing, it won't end well. I just… I want to make sure he's ok."

Sally knew he son was special, but hearing he was the leader of the demigod camp was… unexpected and yet completely natural. Of course he was, he was just that type of guy. Then again, he was goofy and scatter-brained, how could he lead? He was her little baby, not some big leader. Then again, he was.

"I'm glad you care. I'm glad he has someone who knows he doesn't have to do it alone. Even if he has a selective memory at times, I'm glad he has someone who will remind him he's not alone and that he doesn't have to put the entire weight of the world on his shoulders."

Annabeth just stared at her like she'd grown another head.

"…Annabeth?" She asked hesitantly.

"I don't think you understand how incredibly… _ironic_ that statement is. Saying that, right after we come back from a quest where Percy _literally_ held up the weight of the sky when Atlas tricked Artemis into holding his burden, and Percy, being so _stupidly_ Percy, took the burden from her so she could defeat the titan."

Sally blinked in rapid succession.

Then she remembered the streak of white in her son's black hair.

Then she saw a similar streak in Annabeth's hair: it had blended in with her light blond hair some, but it was clear now.

"What happened?" She gasped, trying to wrap her mind around it, and Annabeth gave her a brief overview of everything from her point of view and what she's learned from the others.

"How… how is that even physically possible?" Sally shook her head, "Ah, I never thought I'd ask that question again, I thought I'd become accustomed to this magic and monster business years ago."

"It's not about physical strength, it's about strength of the soul and the spirit. Gods are supported by millions of mortal spirits and titans are built in the foundations of the world, so it is a burden but they can take it. So far as I know, L-Luke, Percy and I, are the only non-immortal beings to ever accomplish it." She smiled extremely bitterly, and Sally knew she was in no way fond or proud of that accomplishment.

"I need to call Paul." Sally concluded. "We can't do dinner tonight, it would be too much. He needs rest, you _both_ need rest."

She noted Annabeth looked slightly relieved as she picked up the phone.


	3. Vultures, they are

Paul was not an overly-dramatic person. He was an English teacher in a high school and specialized in Greek mythology with great epic novels, always with a dramatic ending, so he'd seen his fair share of drama, but he himself was not dramatic in the slightest.

He was considered a "cool" teacher, and his classes felt more like twenty-five underage friends rather than a strictly 'I'm-in-charge-and-you-must-obey-me' kind of teacher/student relationship. He discovered early on that not only was he not particularly strict or even able to follow his own rules, but also that his kids responded more if they thought a friend was giving them useful knowledge rather than an idiot adult trying to teach them old, antiquated things they had no use for. Also, they learned better if they actually had fun in class.

Still, that had ended in him being the one the kids went to with every little thing, from a flunked paper to their boy/girl friend broke up with them. Yes, tiring, but it was nice in that the kids weren't locking themselves away from everyone. He was not the guidance counselor, but many of his colleagues thought he'd be better suited for it than the current one, who was an old grouchy woman who dismissed children's problems as trifle and unimportant in the bigger picture.

Paul had to admit, the things he heard, they could be pretty stupid and trivial, but he knew to these kids it was everything: their world was ending if they didn't do something. He knew it was hard to look past high school and see that "bigger picture", and honestly, that image wasn't anything worth looking at when you were a sixteen to eighteen year old. They'd get there in time, but he was willing to let them be children in making mountains out of mole-hills and listening to their inane, often humorously simple dilemmas and helping them through it with the knowledge of an adult. The thank you in their eyes—for this was the twenty first century, not all kids said it aloud—was worth the extra time taken to listen.

Unfortunately, this trust-based relationship went both ways.

To earn their respect and trust, he talked about himself a lot, talked about his problems, and the kids liked to offer their own version of advise, and it often made Paul feel a ton better at their comically out-of-proportion care and dramatics of everything. His favorite was when he told them he was sad he would miss the football game Sunday because he had a teacher's conference, and a boy in the back of the room shouted out that he should take all the teachers to watch the game with him, that way their lesson plans would run more like football plays and not so much like boring and stupid lectures. He couldn't help but explode in laughter and reassure the boy that he would just record the game while he was away.

As aforementioned, Paul was not an overly dramatic person, his problems consisted of the normal, mundane things of life, and he was fine with that. When he started to see Sally—though not officially— he had only mentioned her once when all the girls in his class exploded in squeals and giggles and started asking more questions than they ever had in class before. When he did start dating her regularly, they demanded he bring in a picture of her, offered hundreds of date ideas, and giggled and clapped at every little detail he begrudgingly gave them.

Today was by far the worst though, they could tell he was stressed about something with Sally. He internally cursed their sixth sense at detecting relationship woes: the vultures lived off that kind of drama.

"Did you hold the door for her? What did you wear? Where did you go last night? Was if fun? 'Cuz dates have to be fun, or it just gets-"

"Speaking of Mice and Men," Paul spoke over Marian, a bubbly girl in the front row who was the mouthpiece for his second block's obsession over his love life. He brandished the book and made sure it was on everyone's desk.

"Come on Mr. B! At least tell us-!"

"Marian, I am sure you have more dating experience than me, seeing as I haven't dated since college, but I assure you this is not on topic. Do you remember where we left off yesterday?"

"Page 54, but Mr. B, do we get to meet her?"

"Samantha, can you start reading?"

"Yeah, but do we get to meet her?" The brunette in the back answered.

Paul pinched the bridge of his nose. "What, are you tag-teaming me now?"

"Yes!" Several chorused, laughing at him.

He caved, as he usually did with his class when they were being friendly and interactive (every teacher's _dream!)_ "If I answer a couple questions, can we get back to the book? We're seven minutes into class and we've done nothing but get our books out."

"Scouts honor!" Marian cried excitedly. "So, do we get to meet her?" She insisted.

Paul sighed and smiled. "We've talked once or twice about her possibly chaperoning the spring dance with me." They babbled excitedly at the news.

"Are you going on a date tonight?" Jasmine called out.

Paul tensed a bit. "Yes." He answered, but the love-vultures spotted his discomfort.

"What do you look scared?... ARE YOU GOING TO PROPOSE?!" Marian shrieked, and her statement caused everyone else—even the boys—look look expectantly at him with huge grins.

"What?! No! I promise you, ah… no, just no!" Paul floundered and they laughed at his discomfort. "I uh… we're just having dinner tonight."

"Are you going to get some?" Michael, a hockey jock asked too-innocently waggling his eyebrows.

"Michael," Paul said warningly, putting on his 'teacher voice', and the boy fell silent, shrugging his shoulders innocently while the boys snickered and the girls shot him disgusted looks. "If you must know, her son came home a few days ago and I get to meet him tonight."

This news got them all excited.

"Oh, tell us all about him!" Ginny cooed.

"Where did he come home from?" Someone else asked.

"He'll love you Mr. B, you're awesome!" Richard shouted.

"Relax people, settle down," Paul told them all and they quieted some. "We're reading now, and in exchange for a good class today, I might share tomorrow." They smiled knowingly, fully aware that he'd tell them tomorrow anyway, but opened their book anyway. "Samantha, could you start?"


	4. Unexpected

Paul did feel better after his class's encouragement, but he still felt like he was going to throw up from nerves as he got into the elevator of Sally's apartment building.

This was big. No, this was _huge._ Sally loved her son more than anything, that much was painfully obvious, and if the boy didn't like him… well, Paul would be introduced to the door before dessert, that much was certain in his mind.

He loved Sally. Not like, _loved._ It was a painful observation, one he knew would end terribly for him is Percy didn't like him. He hadn't told Sally yet. He wanted to, but how? After all, they only met a couple months ago, it felt like he was falling too hard too fast over someone who may or may not have felt the same way.

Wow, listening to his kid's problems must be going to his head, he's thinking like them.

Still, we wanted this to go well more than anything. If he wanted to be wish Sally, he'd have to learn to be close to Percy, and pray Percy would reciprocate it. The only problem was that Percy didn't seem like that kind of kid.

How many schools had he been kicked out of? How many times does he run off and disappear for weeks, doing god knows what, without so much as a phone call or a note? Sally had just shrugged and smiled a bit sadly as she explained this to him, and Paul, for the life of him, could not understand it. Sally was sweet, and kind, and loving, and just plain wonderful, but she was not stupid nor was she one to roll over at challenges. She seemed like the mom who wouldn't put up with that kind of behavior, but she did. Saying how he got kicked out of his last school, she smiled and rolled her eyes like he'd gotten kicked off the debate team rather than expelled.

He was obviously a trouble maker, a rebel, and none too bright judging from his grades. That on top of ADHD and Dyslexia, a penchant for fighting, running away, and blowing things up, plus a nation-wide man hunt for him when he was _twelve_, did not leave Paul with much hope of being on good terms with this kid. He did not want to suck up to a kid but he didn't know what to do to get along with both Percy and Sally. This was going to be difficult.

The elevator stopped and he made his way to Sally's door. He stood there a moment or two, steeling himself, before knocking.

"Come on in!" He heard Sally call. He blinked in shock before trying the handle, and found the apartment door unlocked.

Well _that_ wasn't safe, especially not in New York City.

"Paul!" Sally appeared around the corner, looking as beautiful as ever as she slung a dish towel of her shoulder and greeted him with a peck on the cheek.

"Hey," He smiled as well, suddenly feeling much safer and more at ease with her here. He reminded himself that they were in this together, it wasn't just him against Percy and his mother: she wanted this to work just as much as he did. "You know, leaving your door unlocked isn't safe," He fretted good naturedly, and she just grinned.

"Well, Percy's home and his friends stop by at all hours; I want them to feel welcome." She shrugged, and although Paul felt that was incredibly nice and loving, he was also extremely worried about the kinds of friends Percy might be letting into her home. He knew Sally could see his fear, but either ignored it or put it away for later.

"Percy!" She called into the apartment. "Paul's here!"

"Hold up a sec!" A voice called back. "Have you seen my shoes?"

"What? Those ratty things you've worn holes in?" She answered, smiling and giving Paul a wide-eyed, too-innocent look that held a loaded meaning. "No idea."

"You threw them out, didn't you?" The boy's voice was suddenly much closer as he walked in the room, smiling and shaking his head at his mother.

"I've no clue what you're talking about," Sally dismissed and Percy rolled his eyes and shook his head again. "Percy, this is Paul. Paul, my son Percy," She beamed as she brought together the two men in her life and Paul was flat out shocked when Percy gave him a wide, toothy grin and offered his hand to shake.

Paul clasped it, and was floored by how strong the boy's grip was, though not like he was trying to hurt him, more that it was just his natural strength.

"Uh, sup?" Percy said slightly awkwardly and Paul smiled instinctively.

"Nice to meet you. Not to embarrass you, but your mother talks the world of you, I'm glad to finally meet you in person." Sally beamed as Percy blushed heavily, though he smiled a bit tightly at his mom.

"Thanks mom, really." He sighed semi-sarcastically.

"Oh, you're too modest," Sally patted him on the cheek and moved past them to check on dinner. "Percy, could you set the table?"

"Yeah, sure." The boy nodded to Paul and moved away to the kitchen.

Paul could not believe how well that went. He watched Percy set the table, considering the boy he thought he'd typed, but now realizing he wasn't like that at all. He was _nice, _and polite and obviously caring and respectful to his mom.

He was also not what you'd expect a fourteen-year-old boy to look like. He was handsome, with emerald sea-green eyes that flashed with life; wind-blown roughly tousled pitch black hair; pale clear skin with a healthy glow; broad shoulders and chest thick with obvious muscle; and graceful dexterous motions despite his unusual height and size. He had on a navy blue t-shirt, tan cargo pants, a beaded necklace, and was barefoot in response to his mother's sabotage: all in all, very casual and neat at the same time. He had some features like his mother's, like her ears and the same shaped nose perhaps, maybe even the same shaped lips, but he apparently took after his father for the most part, because unless you looked hard, you wouldn't think of Sally and Percy as mother and son.

The fact the blatantly good-looking child resembled his father made Paul feel kind of defensive and worried at Sally's ex-love, though he knew he had nothing to fear. Still…

"Uh… so. You teach English?" Percy asked awkwardly when he finished the table and tried to make conversation with Paul.

Paul was again, surprised at the boy's politeness and good manners.

"Um, yes. At Goode High School."

"Goode?" Percy perked up as if he heard that name before.

"It was one of the schools we were discussing trying to get you into last year." Sally reminded him and recognition clicked in his green eyes.

"Oh, small world." Paul said. He had a sense when they talked about schools Percy could attend, they came up with a list so he could attend the next one once he got kicked out of the first. The knowledge did not compute with the image of the nice young man before Paul's eyes.

"Do you like English?" Paul asked, trying to direct the conversation to learn something about the boy. The answer was evidently 'no' as Percy grimaced at the question.

"Uh, I'm dyslexic, English is not for me."

Oh, that's right, Paul chastised himself.

"But he is really into the Greek stories, Paul." Sally added in, and Percy gave her a funny look. To her son, she said, "Paul here is really into Greek Mythology." For some reason, Percy looked eternally amused by this.

"You are? Like, you teach it?" Percy suddenly seemed very interested, even if he was trying not to laugh.

"I do. The _Odyssey_ is part of my curriculum, and one of my favorites." For some reason, Percy grimaced, but quickly replaced it with a wide grin.

"Well, we might actually have something to talk about."

0000000000000

Paul was amazed by how much Percy knew about Greek Mythology, and how interested he was in the things he hadn't heard before. For a teenage boy who'd never read the standard things like Catcher in the Rye or Mice and Men, he'd read the epic poems of Homer twice. He said he had a special copy of the books for people with dyslexia, and though Paul highly doubted there was such a thing, just smiled and launched into another discussion about the works.

Dinner went great, and the three of them talked amiably, almost like they'd been friends forever. Percy was more an adult than a child, though he certainly acted goofy and silly at times, complaining about his brussel-sprouts, but eating them quickly after a glare from Sally. The older persona he gave off was coupled with a streak of gray hair on the side of his head the Paul noticed, and he realized—through experience with his own salt-and pepper hair—that it wasn't dyed, it was natural. What fourteen-year-old had gray hair? Percy was so lively and friendly, he didn't think it was stress, but then again, everything about this boy surprised him.

"I'd love to read them mom, but, you know…"

"Yes, I do know," Sally smiled in amusement at her son. "I'll get Annabeth to read them. She'll give me honest feedback."

"But I do want to read them, writing a book is huge!" Percy boasted proudly of his mother who grinned happily. "I just… well, I'm going to claim their awesome to everyone and their mother even if it takes me a year to get through them."

"It's the effort that counts. I will not be putting a synopsis on spark notes." She smirked and he grimaced.

"I would never…" but he trailed off and they laughed at him. He smiled peacefully at their laughter, like he was at his best when people were laughing at him. Paul found it odd that he almost purposefully said things to get them to laugh at his obtuseness or even idiocy, when most teenagers strived to blend in and avoid anything embarrassing.

"Who's Annabeth?" Paul asked, and smiled a bit as Sally smirked knowingly and Percy colored a bit at his mom's loaded look.

"She's one of my best friends." Percy answered smoothly, though his cheeks were still red. "She lives in San Francisco though, she left this morning."

"She loves books like I like writing." Sally smiled. "And she would give me an honest critique. She's a wonderful young lady."

"Mom," Percy stabbed his mashed potatoes and Paul bit back a grin.

"Have you ever been to San Francisco?" Paul wondered, but froze as Percy's smile became fixed and his hand tensed around his fork so hard, it bent.

"Uh, yeah. Once." He said shortly.

"So, Paul, what do you plan to do with your class tomorrow? Weren't you trying to teach them _Mice and Men_?" Sally asked normally, apparently oblivious to Percy's strange behavior, but Paul knew she was covering for him.

"Um… yes, we just got to the part with Lenny and the puppy…" But as he talked, he kept looking over at Percy, who was staring at his food, suddenly not hungry anymore.

Maybe it was just Paul's imagination, but he swore Percy's gray streak got more pronounced.


	5. Code for Dumb

**Oh gosh Internet. **

**Sorry about the mix up, I need to label my documents better: I accidently posted the wrong chapter 4 to the wrong story. **

**Woops. **

**Forgiveness?**

**Yeah, moving on. Chapter 5!**

**(p.s. I never would have realized if it weren't for Louisa4533 who is my new hero. Love!)**

"SO?" A loud voice demanded before Paul even stepped fully into his classroom the next morning, the last day of school before winter break.

Marian was settling into her desk with everyone else before the bell rang, and they all ended their conversations to listen to their favorite teacher's woes. It was good gossip.

"'So' what?" Paul played dumb, smirking a little as they exploded in complaints. "Fine, fine, yes I know what. And it went well, thank you for asking."

"Did he hate you? No offense, I'd hate you." Jessica said bluntly. "If you were dating my mom? Ugh!"

"No, we got along just fine. He's a nice young man."

"How old is he?"

"What's his name?"

"What's he look like?" They spouted questions at him, and he waved them off.

"Now, now, his name is Percy, and he's fourteen so he might attend Goode next year, therefore I'm not going to go embarrass him in front of you vultures." Paul chastised them.

"But he'd be a freshman and we'd be juniors next year, we wouldn't be _talking_ to him or anything!" Samantha rolled her eyes like she couldn't believe he'd think they consort with someone two years younger than them.

"Just tell us, what's he like?" Marian insisted.

Paul thought it over. "He's very polite and friendly. He acts twenty or something, very mature and well-mannered, but at the same time is a bit goofy and child-like. He's also very into Greek Mythology."

That last part had them all grinning. "So, you're like best friends now, right?" Jasmine rolled her eyes.

"We are on very good terms, yes." Paul allowed, and they snickered at their teacher's widely known near-obsession with all things old and Greek.

"But Goode isn't that big, what if you end up teaching him next year?" Carl wondered aloud.

"I'm sure it will be fine… in fact, I think that would be best. He's dyslexic and has some pretty bad ADHD, I think of all the teachers in the school, I'd be able to handle that the best. I had some graduate training in teaching those kinds of kids." Paul reminded them, and they looked fairly intrigued by that.

"So is he stupid then?" Michael frowned.

"No! Contrary, he's very intelligent, just not very good with grades."

"'Not good with grades' is code for dumb." Michael pointed out.

"Grades are a measure of one type of intelligence, and I could make the argument that every one of you in here are incredibly intelligent, more so than me at times, even if you've all managed to get a C on one of my papers." Paul pointed out and they shifted uncomfortably. "You know a lot more about the modern world— the internet, the technology, the people—more than I ever did and probably ever will, because I didn't grow up with it. You are all brilliant in your own right, just maybe not totally well-versed in Shakespeare or Frost. I'm sure you know ten times more about those rappers and big musicians you follow than you do about eighteenth century poetry, and in a couple centuries, kids will be calling your favorite singers foreign and outdated. Then you will be considered geniuses for understanding them when they don't, and it's not because you studied their lyrics and musical theories. I argue that Percy is clearly intelligent, just not when it comes to words on a page."

They said nothing in response to that little speech, but looked impressed.

"Now, let's read a chapter or two of _Mice and Men_, and discuss, then we'll watch the movie as a bit of 'before break reprieve'." They chatted excitedly about that as they got their books out, and Paul shuffled through his own papers.

Paul wasn't quite sure where this defensive attitude towards intelligence came from, but he thought it might be centered around Percy himself. The boy was openly blunt and very simple, yet he did little things like remember any and everything he and Sally said, absorbing the world like a sponge. When they discussed Greek literature, Percy seemed to be able to think… differently. Paul couldn't put his finger on it, but the way Percy talked and thought things through was strangely familiar, as well as totally foreign. He wasn't stupid, that was obvious, but Paul couldn't get a read on what Percy _did _know.

Whatever Percy was, it wasn't going to fall out of the sky and hit him, Paul would just have to wait and get to know the boy better, to really understand him.


	6. December 23rd

Percy supposed to the casual observer, he pretty much fell out the sky.

In actuality, the small-car sized hellhound that had somehow managed to squeeze up the tiny stairwell or cram itself into his apartment building's elevator to ambush him when he went out to pick up some eggs for his mom, pushed him out the window at the end of his hall and that resulted in both of them falling twenty stories down to the street. He didn't know if the mortals about were seeing s a falling poodle or something, but he guessed they could see him just fine.

Three claws sank into his back as they twisted in the air, Percy fighting to get over the dog, and the dog fighting to eat him. With no time to spare, they hit the pavement, hellhound first with Percy on top of it in hopes it would cushion his fall some, which it did to some extent, until it turned into golden dust almost immediately and Percy hit the pavement himself, _hard. _

"Are you ok?" An Irish accented voice said from about him.

Percy fought back a groan and looked up, to see his door man looking confused at him.

"Yeah Matt, just tripped…" He said, forcing himself to get up. Matt looked incredibly confused, and Percy wanted to ask what he'd seen, but since he himself supposedly just did whatever Matt saw, he didn't want to make the man even more confused.

"Oh… ok then. Merry Christmas! Or, er, Happy Holidays!" The older man waved as Percy made to leave, but his comment made Percy some up short.

_Crap…_

It was December 23rd, Christmas was two days from now.

And he had no presents.

He was a terrible son.

Percy fought the urge to face palm and glanced at his watch. It was two o'clock now, and if he remembered right from his conversation with Paul last night, it was the last day of school for winter break. Before this whole mess with San Francisco and that quest, Percy had a general idea of what he wanted to get his mom, but now he had no time, and another person to take into account. He hadn't quite realized Paul would be such a huge part of his mom's life, but it was obvious he was, and Percy knew he couldn't cut the guy out of his plans.

Rather than call a cab, Percy stole a sip of nectar from a container in his pocket and felt the gashes on his back begin to heal. He took off at a jog towards Goode High, about twenty-five blocks away, letting the endorphins help the healing process some. He also tossed his jacket and got a new shirt from a vendor on the street so not as to draw attention to the blood covering the back of his now shredded one.

It was two thirty exactly when he got to Goode and kids were rushing out here and there. No one noticed him slip inside the school and make his way through the kids collecting their things from their lockers.

"Excuse me, do you know where Mr. Blofis's room is?" He asked a girl with blonde hair holding a _Mice and Men_ book, something Paul had said he was teaching.

She glanced up at him and seemed to do a double take.

"Are you new here? I haven't seen you around." She blinked at him. "I'm Marian, by the way."

"Oh, uh, Percy," He waved awkwardly. "And uh, no I don't go here, I just stopped by to see Mr. Blofis for something."

Marian's eyes seemed to bug. "Uh, yeah… he's down the hall and to the left, room C113."

"Thanks," Percy smiled at her. "Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays or whatever you want call it," He waved again and continued his jog down the hall.

Jasmine closed her locker next to Marian's and bumped her shoulder to break the short blonde out of her shock. "He was cute, what'd he say?"

"That's Percy," Marian said, her eyes wide at her friend.

"Who?" Jasmine frowned.

Marian tisked impatiently. "Mr. B talked about him in class? His girlfriend's son? He stopped by to see him." She smiled excitedly.

Jasmine grinned and look in the direction Percy had gone. "Mr. B failed to mention he was gorgeous."

"_I_ thought he was a senior or something, he doesn't look 14 at all." Marian agreed. "I was ready to ask him out and everything!"

"Then you'd have Mr. B as an in-law." Jasmine giggled, and they laughed as they headed out the doors for break.

0000000000000

"Percy!" Paul straighten up in surprise and shock as Percy appeared in the doorway of his classroom.

"Uh, hey." Percy nodded standing uneasily by the door frame.

"You know, most kids don't come to school if they're not required, I have to admit this is a new one for me." He smiled and Percy just shrugged a bit.

"I'm not going to say I'm a fan of school, but I've got nothing against the building." Percy allowed, then paused to think something over. "So, I just stopped by because I realized it's December 23rd."

Paul lifted and eyebrow, shuffling a bunch of papers into his briefcase and moving out of the room, Percy following. "Yes, I do believe it is." Paul agreed.

"Yeah, I've been caught up in some stuff, but I'm fairly certain Christmas is still in two days, right?" Percy affirmed as Paul locked his classroom and Percy accompanied him through the halls.

"Last time I checked, it hasn't changed dates in a fairly long time." Paul agreed again, smiling at Percy's approach to whatever he wanted to say.

"Right… so, I had this idea for my mom for a present, but then there was you, and I don't know if you're doing anything for Christmas, or even if you _wanted_ to help me out, but I think she'd like it, so what do you say?" He said quickly, and Paul blinked rapidly trying to absorb it all, reminding himself that Percy was a little more than mildly ADHD.

"Um… I would love to help out, but I'm afraid you're going to have to repeat that a tad slower," Paul pleaded and Percy beamed.

The boy's green eyes flickered mischievously, something that had Paul almost doubting his assent to help.

"What are you doing tomorrow?"


	7. Mission Montauk

"Paul, this had been a wonderful day, thank you so much." Sally sighed happily as he escorted her to her door. "I didn't know you liked romantic comedies."

Paul smirked, internally shaking his head at Percy's brilliance.

"I've got nothing against them, though I think Percy's running for son-of-the-year: he's the one who hinted none too subtly you wanted to see that movie." Sally turned to him with wide eyes, blushing a little.

"I'm so happy he seems to be taking this so well… I never thought…" But her eyes misted over with emotion at her son's kind gesture. Paul beamed, knowing Percy's plans were going to work perfectly.

"You're home twenty minutes late!" Percy cried in mock-annoyance as the two adults entered the apartment to him curled up on the couch munching on some popcorn and watching a movie.

"Quite the role reversal here," Paul noted in amusement, helping Sally out of her jacket.

"Oh, he has nothing to complain about!" Sally shot a joking glare at her son. "Since when is the last time I gave you a hard time about a missed curfew or a random disappearance for a week?" The bright, easy-going mood was disrupted some as that strange little fact made Paul frown.

Percy didn't notice though, thinking it over and then shrugging before offering her the popcorn bowl. "_White Christmas_ is on, wanna watch?"

Sally beamed, then turned to Paul, possibly to say goodnight, but Percy cut her off again. "Paul can stay too, if you want. You did say you liked Christmas classics, right?"

Paul's grin widened at Sally overjoyed expression. "Of course! If that's ok with you Sally?"

Sally beamed.

0000000000000

"Paul…._Paaaaul…_ PAUL!"

Paul woke with a start. "W-wha?" He mumbled through sleep.

Percy just smirked at him. "Stage one, complete!" He said sneakily, pleased with himself. "Apparently too well," He noted as Paul uncurled himself from where he fell asleep on the recliner. Percy was ready to go, dressed in a coat and boots, two duffel bags slung over his shoulders. "Here," He tossed the bags to him, and Paul caught them groggily, trying to get his barings.

"Wha time is it?" He mumbled.

"2:16. You need to wake up, you're driving."

"2:16 on Christmas morning, why are we doing this again?" Paul pulled on his shoes, stretching as he found his jacket.

"Because my mom—your girlfriend, mind you—will love it, so _shh!"_ Percy hissed, pointing towards Sally who was curled up asleep on the couch.

Paul smiled at the woman he loved looking so peaceful and happy in sleep.

He shook it off and grabbed the duffel bags and got the door open into the silent hallway, before he realized belatedly as the adult, he should help more. He turned back but his help was rendered unnecessary as Percy appeared in the doorway with Sally wrapped tightly in blankets and still sound asleep in his arms. For a fourteen-year-old, it didn't seem to hamper him in the least.

It was a strange sight, but oddly right. Percy really did seem like the one who was protecting and caring for his mother, even if she still babied and fussed over him like he was a child. Again, that odd so-young-yet-also-an-adult mentality about the boy had Paul stumped, and more than a little impressed.

They got everything packed away and situated in Paul's car without much incident, the heat blasting to keep the cold from waking Sally. Percy took his position in the back, letting Sally lean against him so that as far as she knew, they were still sleeping on the couch in her apartment.

Quietly, Percy directed him through the streets of New York and out to the shore line, and up north a ways. They drove in silence, but at the night—or morning, whatever—dragged on, Paul wondered how Percy had pulled this off.

"How'd you get out here by yourself?" He asked.

"Oh, uh… I took a cab."

"There and back in one day? That must have cost you a fortune." Paul frowned.

"Isn't there some sort of unspoken rule that a present must require sacrifice in order to not be a cop-out?" Percy pointed out, and Paul shrugged, admitting that was a good point.

Sally mumbled something in her sleep, and both boys froze until she quieted.

The rest of the ride was pretty much silent, and though Percy could have fallen asleep since he wasn't driving, he stayed up to keep Paul company in the quiet.

"Turn left at the end of this road. It's the only building on the beach." Percy instructed, and Paul followed the dirt road as he said. It was a rundown little shack-of-a-house, but there were blue lights twinkling on the gutters, and a warm glow coming from in the windows.

"Cozy," Paul noted, pulling up and parking, and he wasn't even fully out of his door before Percy had Sally to the front door of the small cabin, sliding in easily. Paul grabbed the bags and headed in too.

It was homely and warm, a small-ish Christmas tree in white lights and blue crystal balls in the corner, a dying fire in a hearth that Percy quickly stoked again, blue and gray linens and pillows littering the squishy sofas. Sally was sleeping away on the sofa closest to the fire, and Paul couldn't believe they'd actually pulled it off.

"4:52, we made good time." Percy noted, opening a duffel bag and putting the presents that had been around the tree in their apartment under the new one.

"I'm too old to be getting up this early and doing this," Paul yawned, settling onto a couch himself.

"How do you think Santa feels?" Percy chuckled.

Paul watched as Percy arranged the presents. "This is a really nice thing you did, Percy." Paul complimented, and Percy smiled warmly, and perhaps a bit sadly at Sally as she slept.

Percy suddenly broke the comfortable silence after a minute or two. "If I weren't around… like, what would you do for Christmas? With her? What would you two be doing for Christmas?"

"Why wouldn't you be around for Christmas? I assume even if you go to college or move out one day, you'd be allowed home for Christmas," Paul joked, but Percy was staring suddenly quite seriously at the fire. After a minute of silence, Paul sighed. "I probably don't have the creativity for something like this, but I guess we'd have a quiet day of lazing around. I could make breakfast—I'm a killer omelet chef—and I guess a marathon of old Christmas movies, some hot chocolate with those giant blue marshmallows she loves, and a game of Rummy. I still haven't managed to beat her at that game, but one of these days…"

"That sounds nice." Percy said so softly Paul wasn't quite sure he'd heard him right.

"We could still do that today you know, only with you. Why do you seem like… I don't know…"

_Like this is your last Christmas with us?_ Paul finished in his mind.

"I'm sure she'd told you I disappear a lot." Percy said, and Paul nodded slowly.

"You thinking about disappearing on Christmas next year?"

Percy just looked at the fire. "Not by choice." He mumbled, but again, Paul wasn't sure he heard him right.


	8. A Good Dream

Sally had a dream she was standing on the beach in Montauk, snow falling gently despite the moist sea-breeze preventing it from sticking. She laughed and stuck her tongue out to catch them, and they tasted salty, like sea-water snowflakes.

She heard a familiar laugh that she could never, and would never forget from down the beach, but when she looked, she only saw and empty sand stretching away. Somehow though, she wasn't lonely, more content than anything.

A strange feeling of…_rightness_ filled her, and she smiled, knowing she wasn't alone.

The distinct smell of bacon pulled her into consciousness and she opened her eyes drearily. It was a full five seconds before she realized the sound of the crashing waves in her dream wasn't actually in her dream as she was still hearing it despite the fact she was awake. Her eyes snapped all the way open and the oh-so familiar blue and gray linens she'd decorated her favorite place in the world with met her eyes.

_It couldn't be…_

She sat up roughly and her heart leapt as she was faced with a pair of shocking emerald eyes, that were not the set she'd been expecting for half a second, but the ones she loved even more in the face of her son.

"Percy," She gasped, taking in her surroundings.

The dark haired boy just grinned.

"Merry Christmas, mom."


	9. Now you see me

"You really are the sweetest boy alive, you know that?" Sally smiled brightly as she came up behind where Percy was sitting on a rock on the beach.

"Paul was a big help, distracting you all day so I could grab Blackjack and get up here to set it up." Percy smiled as well. Paul had offered to make dinner and the mother son duo went for a walk. "I like him, he's decent."

Sally smiled, wrapping her arms around herself to block the icy winter air coming off the ocean. Percy reached out and grabbed her hand, and suddenly the sea air felt placid and clam, unaffecting her. Sally gripped it tighter, sort of desperately, and Percy frowned.

"It's ok mom," He muttered, and Sally just sighed.

"This is amazing, but I'd trade it for a normal Christmas at home with you any day." She said. "You've mentioned it in passing, and Annabeth said something about a prophecy… you're editing again, aren't you? Is there some reason this Christmas needs to be so special?"

Percy smiled a bit tightly. "Every Christmas should be special, mom." He fell quiet for a few minutes. "I'm glad you have Paul. I was a bit worried bringing him here would clash two worlds in your head, but he really does seem like he fits here."

"I had a dream I was in here last night, and then I woke up and it was real." Sally laughed. "I may not have demigod dreams, but I think it may have been meant as a peace offering, to accept Paul."

Percy smiled at the ocean.

0000000000000

"Percy! Could you grab a table cloth from the closet!" Sally called, bustling about making dinner. Paul once again found himself overjoyed to be invited over for the holidays, this time for New Years.

"Yeah, sure!" Percy flashed Paul a grin and put down his cards. Paul had to admit he could beat neither Percy nor his mother at Rummy, but that would not deter him for trying on in vain. It was only eight at night on New Year's eve, he guessed they could play three more games before it was time to go to the roof and watch the ball drop.

"Is it some family secret I'm not allowed to know? The key to always winning Rummy?" He asked as Sally stirred a pot on the stove. She laughed and grinned knowingly.

"No, you're just terrible at it." She quipped and laughed again as Paul pouted. Suddenly, there was a crash from somewhere else in the apartment, and something else that sounded like broken glass. Paul jumped up to go see if Percy was ok. "No, Paul," Sally dropped her spoon and grabbed Paul's arm to keep him in the kitchen.

"But you heard that right?" Paul asked her hurriedly. "Percy! Are you ok!?" He called, but there was no answer.

"I'm sure he's fine," Sally said soothingly, but her eyes were tight, the way they always were when Percy disappeared.

"We should go see if-"

"Wait here for a couple seconds." Sally interrupted him, pushing him back to the kitchen table and collecting her forgotten sauce.

"Percy!?" Paul called again, but with no answer. He stared at Sally's back as she tended to the stove. "Sally, what if he's hurt?"

"He can take care of himself, don't worry," Sally assured him without turning around.

Ok, this was too strange. Sally was a nearly overprotective mother, something obviously happened and she didn't even bat an eye in thinking her son could be hurt.

"Do you want the sauce on the side?" She interrupted Paul's thoughts, and he noticed there were only two plates on the counter, her spoon hovering over one of them waiting for him to say what he wanted.

"Isn't Percy eating with us?" He raised an eyebrow.

Sally pursed her lips for a split second. "I don't think so. Would you like the sauce on the side?" She repeated firmly, and Paul just stared at her.

"No… I'm good with whatever." He finally said. He couldn't take it anymore, he stood up. "I'm going to see if Percy's ok." This time, Sally didn't stop him as he went back into the apartment,.

The linen closet in the hallway was ajar, a pile of table cloths unsettled with one lying on the floor. Percy's room was shut and Paul knocked, again calling, but there was still no answer. He opened the door and blinked.

The room was deserted, not a single sign of Percy, but his bed was flipped over, the window shattered—but shattered outwards as if Percy decided to jump through the window instead of just opening it. Paul blinked again.

He sat down at the kitchen table as Sally placed their plates in front of them, Percy's setting already packed away. She smiled like nothing was wrong and dug in while Paul stared at her.

"Sally…" He frowned. "Nothing I say about what's back there will surprise or alarm you, will it?" She took a bit of her green beans and shook her head.

"Sorry, I'm much too used to it." She shrugged. "Though I think I can assume Percy will be cleaning his room when he gets back?"

Paul blinked at her, and she smiled in triumph at her correct guess.

"I know you said he disappears, but…"

"You didn't think I meant it quite so literally, did you?" She smirked playfully, and Paul couldn't understand how she was being so light-hearted about this.

"When will he be back?"

He smile remained, but her eyes got tight again.

"Soon." She said. "He's always back soon."

Paul got a terrible feeling in his gut that 'soon' was code for 'who knows?'.


	10. Rummy Excuses

Percy landed quite ungracefully on the fire escape outside his room at three in the morning January third.

_See ya Boss! Get some rest, you look like crap!_

"I resent that, Blackjack." He muttered, thoroughly tempted to just fall asleep out here in the fire escape rather than go the extra ten feet to his bed. He watched the black Pegasus soar up into the sky and back to camp against the starry sky.

With a groan he used the window ledge to pull himself up, and huffed as he noticed the window sill had been cleaned of glass and covered in news paper. He lifted it gently and fell, again, none too gracefully into his room, groaning as he saw his bed was still flipped.

He wasn't even sure what kind of demon it was at first, though Chiron had explained later it was called a _Kelphec_. It was barely two feet tall, but small, fast, strong, and hard to get a hold of. The stupid little thing was hiding in his _closet_ of all places, so he could now never dismiss a child's fears of monsters hiding in their closets, and when he heard it tossing his bed around, he ran in and got hit around the waist as it tossed them both out the window. The second time that week, mind you.

Percy managed to grab a hold of the fire escape railing and slide down the ladder with the monster close on his heels, where they duked it out in the alley below. It had green skin and some scaly horns down its back, with these little golden claws that _hurt_ like Hades, and it was too fast to dispatch as quickly as he'd like. By the time he _did_ kill it, there were four more and they were tag-teaming him.

He did _not_ run away, he simply gave his sword arm a break in favor of letting his legs take over.

Still, the short version was that he practically ran to Camp Half Blood before he finally managed to kill all the little suckers, and replenish on some ambrosia and nectar. While there could have been many much smarter tactics he could have taken, like summoning Blackjack to get him out of there or going to the river to give him the easy leg up, or just about a hundred other things apart from simply running and occasionally stopping and fighting a losing battle, he felt like he needed it.

He didn't need the exhaustion or the scratches and bruises, but he needed the simplicity of it. The simplicity of fighting a monster he knew little about (as usual), fighting normally without said monster having some sort of terrible special power or trick to mess with him, without any others around to worry about getting hurt if he didn't solve the problem quickly. The running and fighting and adrenaline were comforting somehow.

He _was_ a demigod with terrible ADHD who'd spent the last week or so doing nothing but enjoying his mom and Paul's company, and as nice as that was, it was strange in a way that made Percy restless. After going through everything with Nico and Bianca and Zoe, it didn't feel right having a picturesque Christmas and comfy life right after they're losses. Perhaps that was the reason he let the fighting go on so long, the reason he fell into a familiar rhythm of physical strength and endurance rather than try and figure out what his brain was telling him. Fighting felt better than thinking it through, and since he neither wanted to think or end up fighting with Paul or his mom, or some random guy on the street, getting this out with little creepy monsters no one would miss was probably best.

Still, that meant he'd been gone for three days with no explanation to Paul.

With a heavy sigh he managed to drag himself to the kitchen and find a white board marker in a drawer. They had a white board stuck to the fridge, supposedly for the grocery list, but also for communication purposes when Percy came home late. He took the marker and drew a blue smiley face in the corner below the list, knowing his mom would look here first when she woke up the next morning and stop freaking out that he wasn't home yet.

It was painful, getting his bed right-side up without causing too much noise, but the minute he did he grabbed a blanket discarded on the floor, and was out cold before he even hit the mattress.

0000000000000

"You're telling me you went to your summer camp in the middle of winter… on New Year's eve?" Paul repeated.

"Yes." Percy nodded in confirmation; with such conviction Paul couldn't really doubt him. He learned Percy wasn't the greatest liar ever, he tended to blush and get this blank look in his eye as he tried in vain to come up with an excuse quick enough, and typically failing at it.

"It can be a year-round camp too, there were people there and stuff." He clarified. "I usually only go there in the summer."

"And what possessed you to go when your mom asked you to get a table cloth? In the middle of our game?" Paul challenged, but Percy just shrugged.

"I just go with the flow." He kept his eyes on his cards as he creamed Paul yet again in Rummy.

"You know, the term 'wherever the wind blows you' is typically not supposed to be used so literally." He frowned.

"It's a Greek camp, did I tell you?" Paul was not an idiot, he noted the subject change, but was derailed by the mention of the camp.

"Greek? Like how?"

Percy's eyes were only slightly too wide, but not enough to make Paul think he was lying. "It's Greek themed. There are these cabins with each Olympian god as a mascot of sorts, and we learn about Greek sword play and all the stories and history…"

Paul was fascinated, and they spent the rest of the day discussing the different parts of the camp Percy likes, but the entire time, Paul couldn't help but get the feeling Percy was holding back on a greater portion of it.

Still, he didn't forget that Percy hadn't given a decent explanation, or the fact the Sally never asked about it and continued on as if he'd never left. He let it go after a while of the casual air the two had taken to the event, unable to be suspicious when they acted like they did on any normal afternoon.

He let it go, but he did not forget.


	11. Blind Faith

"Mr. B, you were holding out on us!" Marian complained when he walked in the first day after winter break.

"How so?" He smirked, setting up his papers.

"I met Percy before break, he came looking for you here." That caught mostly everyone's attention.

"Yes, and he's gorgeous. Failed to mention that, didn't you?" Jasmine chastised her teacher, who rolled his eyes.

"But he's really nice, very chill." Marian noted.

"He is indeed, we had a very relaxed Christmas. I have yet to beat him in Rummy."

"I thought you were good at cards?" Hally spoke up.

"Apparently not against him or Sally. Oh, how the tides have turned," He chuckled and they laughed, but the novelty of his girlfriends was wearing off, he could see it in their expressions as they moved on to different topics, and for that, he was grateful.

0000000000000

From then on, things followed a pattern Paul rather liked. By that same token, he had a strange feeling it wouldn't last, like it was only the calm before the storm.

His class, focused on things like prom and finals that were quickly approaching, and all their own love issues as Spring ushered in not only Valentine's day, but a season of new and often short relationships that were more than enough to keep them preoccupied with their own issues, let the kids forget about his love life, and let him get on with teaching instead of feeding their gossip.

Even better but slightly more concerning, was that Percy only disappeared once a month, and usually only for a day or two max. More often than not, he'd tell them he was going to his Camp and spend a weekend there or something, but the odd occurrences were few and far between. Still, they happened, and though it bothered and worried Paul just as much as Sally, it was obviously for different reasons. Sally knew, generally, where her son was and was worried about whatever he was doing. Paul simply didn't know, and had a feeling he was being left out of something majorly important.

"Paul." Sally had, not snapped per say, but said in a firm voice that was the equivalent of a snap for her. "Percy is more than capable of taking care of himself, and more responsible than every kid in your high school combined. I trust him whole-heartedly, and if you can't accept this is the way things must be for now, I'm sorry…"

"No, I'm sorry," He'd grabbing her hand. They sat at the kitchen table on one of those late nights when Percy was nowhere to be found. "I just… I'm worried about him too."

Sally seemed to smile a bit warmly at that. "And I'm thankful you are, I couldn't have asked for this to go any better, but you two get along so well…" She bit her lip as if thinking hard. "Paul, one day you will know. One day Percy and I will explain everything, you just have to accept that it may not be for a long time."

"Why can I not know now?"

"Because you're not ready. To understand our lives, you have to have a kind of trust in us when we say it that you couldn't doubt it. You _have_ to have faith in us, and you _have_ to have faith that one day you will know, and be patient."

Paul considered that. It was like a test almost, seeing if he could blindly trust them enough to turn away from all the strange incidents, so that when he finally got the answer, he could believe it too.

"Blind faith." He said.

She nodded. "Blind faith. I have it for Percy, I have it for what he does and those around him to protect him. I have it in the forces that be to bring him home. Percy has it for me, for his friends, and even perhaps he's starting to with you. If you want to be part of this family, you need it. You need to accept, and be patient."

And Paul thought asking her out the first time was hard.

Acceptance and patience and a blind faith. Those were not qualities you simply grew over night.

But he looked at Sally, as beautiful as ever, with her warm eyes promising unconditional love and acceptance. How she never raised her voice, how calm and patient, yet strong and rebellious she could be. Not blind faith, blind love. Wasn't that what he loved most about her? Was she not just asking for him to return it? If anyone deserved that kind of love, it wasn't him, it was her.

He could never reach her level of tolerance or accept things so out there without a moment's hesitation or doubt the way Sally could, he assumed it was a gift from god or something, being so saint-like you could never be angered or ignorant.

But he would try.

He would try for the beautiful woman holding his hand, and the kind young man she adored, and that he himself found interesting and endearing. He would try for that little dream in the back of his head of a happy ever after.

"Blind faith." He repeated, feeling the words on his lips, the first of many times he'd repeat it to himself to let it go next time something strange happened.

Sally smiled a bit wearily and agreed, "Blind faith."


	12. We're Family, Suck it up

It was late March when there was a rapping on the door.

Percy was trying in vain to understand his English assignment while Sally was typing away at her laptop for her book, occasionally offering some advice to her son, but they both knew that wouldn't go anywhere. Still, they worked in comfortable silence in the living room on an average day.

Sally had given Paul a key, and they weren't expecting visitors, so when the urgent tapping echoed from the door, they exchanged confused looks.

"It better not be a monster, I _really_ cannot deal with that today," Percy grumbled as he tossed his pencil down.

"Perhaps it's just the mailman or something." Sally said, frowning, not considering it could be a monster until he said that.

Percy sighed heavily and opened the door, and blinked in shock.

"Uh…" He said cleverly.

"Sup, Kelp Head?" Thalia brushed passed him, inviting herself in, her silver tiara and jean jacket over the skinny black jeans and a tight gothic t-shirt matching her thick black boots as usual. "Hey Ms. Jackson, how are you?"

"Thalia!" Sally jumped up, grinning, going over and giving her a hug. "I'm great, how're you? It's been a while," She smiled warmly, and Thalia looked uncomfortable, but happy at Sally's touch.

"Yeah, good to see you." Thalia agreed. "Uh, do you think I could steal Percy for a bit? We've got issues with the Hudson."

Percy cocked and eyebrow. "What's wrong with the Hudson?" He said warily.

Thalia pressed her lips together and sniffed. "Stupid river nymphs apparently have something against Artemis. She's up on Olympus this week, so it's just us and we don't have the power to turn them into deer for being a bunch of soggy bit-"

"Right, right," Percy interrupted her as Sally frowned at the language. "I'll be right there," He ran back to his room, leaving the girls there.

"I haven't seen you since December, Thalia." Sally pouted. "Please say you'll at least stay for dinner before you take off again?"

Thalia's cheeks colored a bit and she shifted uncomfortably. "Oh, uh, I'd love to Ms. J, but the Hunters and I…"

"Hunters?" Sally frowned.

Thalia blinked. "Percy didn't tell you I joined the Hunters of Artemis?"

Sally blinked in surprise as well, but considered it while frowning slightly. "Did it happen on your quest last December?"

Thalia frowned suspiciously. "Yeah… why?"

Sally sighed. "Percy doesn't talk about that quest very often. Annabeth gave me the overview… but I think that quest in particular was very hard on him. He avoids it if he can."

Thalia looked down the hallway where Percy's disappeared off to with and unreadable expression.

"I'd love to stay for dinner, Ms. J, if that's ok."

0000000000000

"First of all, there was _no need_ to electrocute them!"

"You heard what they said! They insulted my Lady, they got what they deserved!"

"You could've waited until I _got out_!"

"Eh, you're fine, aren't you?"

"Not the point!"

"Oh good, you're home!" Sally greeted them at the door, placing her hands on the door frame, blocking their path. She had wide eyes conveying something to Percy who just blinked back at her ac couple times before speaking up.

"Oh, Paul's here?"

"Paul?" Thalia asked.

"My boyfriend," Sally said proudly and Thalia waved her eyebrows suggestively at Percy, who hit her in the shoulder to shut her up. Of course, that resulted in her hitting him back, only with a little electricity to get him to jump at the shock, but before it could go any further, Sally stepped between them and wrapped one arm around Thalia's shoulders to drag her inside. "Please behave you two. Paul won't understand your, ah, rivalry."

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "He doesn't…"

"Not yet," Sally confirmed, putting emphasis on the 'yet'. "Where are the Hunters?" She asked and Thalia slipped into 'lieutenant' mode.

"They set up camp on the outskirts of the city. We were hanging out around here anyway until Artemis is finished with her business on Olympus, and she understands I will still have mortal connections for the next couple decades."

"I'm honored to be one of them," Sally beamed and Thalia blushed a bit again.

She ushered the two into the kitchen where Paul was setting the table and seemed a bit surprised at Thalia.

"Hello," He smiled.

"Paul, this is Thalia, Percy's cousin."

"On our dad's side," Thalia supplied at Paul's slightly confused look.

"Oh, nice to meet you," He shook Thalia's hand and was again shocked by her strength, just like when he first met Percy. She had these shocking blue eyes that made him slightly uncomfortable, like he should start fessing up to something, but he didn't know what.

"I made a garden salad and tomato soup," Sally said, and Thalia grinned. She had said she was a Hunter of Artemis in passing, she never thought Sally would connect that to her being a vegetarian.

"Sweet," She smiled, and noticed the pack of cards on the table. "Playing cards?" She asked.

"I was hoping to play Percy in Rummy after dinner," Paul shrugged.

"He has yet to beat either of us," Sally added in as she stirred the soup.

"Wow," Thalia smirked. "Kelp Head's actually _good_ at something that requires brains…" She teased.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Yes, actually, I'm good at Rummy, where as you aren't good at anything that doesn't require kicking someone else's butt." He snapped back.

"I am plenty smart, thank you very much, and what situation would I possibly be in that kicking someone's butt wouldn't be a valuable tool?"

"Cards." Percy pointed out, scooping the deck off the table and waving it challengingly in front of her.

"Isn't this Mr. D's realm?" Thalia said in distaste.

Percy sniffed, "I'm ignoring that part. I like Rummy."

Thalia rolled her eyes and snatched the deck, sitting at the table and quickly handing out cards between the two of them. "Rummy is a wimpy version of Poker, you know? Why don't you play poker then?"

"I like Rummy, I hate Poker." Percy said a bit tensely, and Thalia sensed the sore subject and let it drop. She was all for teasing him relentlessly, but she could tell when a subject came too close to the heart. She wanted to get one or two good hits in, not break him.

"We'll be eating in a minute, I wouldn't start another game," Sally warned.

Thalia turned with a wicked grin. "Naw, we can finish this up in three minutes, tops, right Perce? What's ADHD good for, if not some speed?"

Percy grinned wildly at the challenge.

0000000000000

It was incredible, watching the two kids play cards. Strictly speaking, watching cards should not be fun, but their hands moved so fast, twitching like they often did when Percy was trying hard to hold still, picking up cards and putting them down faster than Paul could keep up.

The first hand was over in seconds and Thalia won.

"Ha! You call that being good at Rummy?"

"It's the first hand, Pinecone Face, deal again!"

"Pinecone Face?" Paul asked in amusement at their odd insults.

"I have a thing for trees," Thalia said smoothly, flashing him a sly grin as she dealt that cards again with subtle flicks of her wrist. "And Kelp Head here has nothing on his mind but bright green bacteria eating away at his brain, thus, Kelp Head."

"I resent that," Percy scoffed, beginning the next hand just as fast as the first. Twenty seconds later, he slammed his hands on the table, "Rummy!" He cried.

"No it wasn't! I meant to put that down!" Thalia yelled back.

"Really? There are already two fours down, it's a Rummy!" Percy tried to pull the card off the pile and Thalia slapped his hand.

"No, back off!"

"You messed up, fair and square!"

"Not fair, not square, and I did not mess up!"

"Did too!"

"Did _not,_ you idiot!"

"Did _too,_ you crazy leaf-for-brains!"

Thalia dropped the card. "Leaf-for-brains? Really Percy?"

"Yes, really." Percy sniffed, taking the card she'd forgotten. "It's my insult and I'm sticking to it."

"It's not a very good insult."

"I don't really care."

"Do you two bicker like this all the time?" Paul wondered aloud and they turned their heads to him.

"Yes." They chorused, and then laughed as they realized Sally said it at the same time too.

Percy started the cards again, and a little bit later, Thalia won again.

"You say you're good, but I'm wiping the floor with you," She pointed out, and Percy just scowled and started dealing again, saying nothing.

They were in the middle of their fast-paced pick up and put down motions when she spoke again, a bit too casually.

"So… heard anything from Nico lately?"

Percy's cards slipped and he quickly picked them up again, but was having a hard time focusing on the rapid pace now. "What in the name of Ha-… uh, _why_ on earth would you think I'd have any idea?"

"Well, he _is_ our cousin."

Sally heard that and turned around in surprise, but remained quiet at the stressed look in Percy's face.

"If I remember correctly," Percy said stiffly. "He did accuse me of trying to kill him, killing his sister, and then running away to be as far as possible from me. I dunno, might just be a guess, but I don't think we're on the best of terms." He muttered sarcastically.

"What happened?" Paul said before he could sensor himself. He didn't want to intrude seeing as this was obviously a family thing and it had Percy stressed pretty badly, but this talk about people _dying_…?

"Nico and Bianca were our cousins, again on our dad's side, and Bianca was in an accident and got killed. Percy and I were there when it happened, he was the one to tell Nico, and the kid kind of flipped out and ran away from home."

"Oh god, that's terrible," Paul said sympathetically. Percy said nothing.

"I win." Thalia said gently, placing her cards down and gathering them up to re-shuffle. "Percy here," She continued, "feels, as idiotic heroes often do, that he is somehow responsible for a ten year old boy's unpredictable actions and emotions. Nico blames you, yes, but he wasn't there, and I was. I say you couldn't have done anything if you tried, and Nico is being stupid for not listening to the whole story."

"I promised I would bring her back safely, Thalia." Percy said softly. "Before I left, I promised him I'd take care of her."

Thalia paused in her own card movements, looking a bit alarmed.

"That is an _incredibly_ stupid promise to make, and you know it. How the hell could you guarantee that?"

"Call me stupid all you want— hell, you _do_—but you can't say I don't care. I thought I could protect her; call me an arrogant fool for thinking I could protect my family, but I tried ok?"

Thalia put her cards down and glared at him. "Ok, you're an idiot and an arrogant fool."

"Thanks, really." He snapped sarcastically, putting his own cards down since she wasn't taking her turn.

"You're an idiot and an arrogant fool for thinking this is in _any way_ your fault. You're an idiot and an arrogant fool for thinking this is anywhere close to being about you. This is about Nico being lost and hurt, and Bianca finding her peace, and Zoe knowing full well it was her time before fighting alongside you and finding her place in the stars." Percy flinched at the mention of Zoe. "No, shut up! You can't feel guilty for _Zoe_ as well, the pro-"

She caught herself as she remembered Paul was still watching with wide eyes.

"Zoe was old, and it was her time. Naturally, not because of anything you did. The whole thing with the sky and Annabeth, it really messed with you, didn't it?"

"Thalia, I'm allowed to feel guilty, even if it's not my fault. That's how I mourn. I tried to tell Annabeth, but you know how well she listens to that kind of stuff," Thalia could help but smirk, picking up her cards again.

"Well, that I do." She finally took her turn and the pace began again. "But I don't want to hear anything about this again. You better get over yourself fast or I'll ditch the girls and personally come up here to kick your ass."

"Wait, is that what this is about? You're trying to _comfort_ me?!"

"Yeah? You couldn't tell?"

"No, honestly it just seemed like you were insulting and yelling at me."

"There's a difference?"

"I hate to admit it, but I missed you Thals." Percy smiled, over the serious conversation.

"Yeah, I'm pretty awesome, aren't I?"

"Now who needs to get over themselves?"

"Oh, it's still you."

"Well, you should get over yourself too, because you just lost." Percy smirked, laying his cards down.

Thalia blinked in shock.

"How'd you _do that?_ You were losing-!"

"And now I've won. Game over," He beamed.

"_You little-!"_

They launched into another round of bickering and Paul sat back, trying to absorb what just happened, but failing entirely.


	13. Thanks for Insulting Me

"Honestly, I don't know how you two can do it." Sally sighed, sitting on the couch next to Percy later that night. Paul had gone home and Thalia was perched crossed-legged on one of the recliners. "Three and a half hours of straight arguing and neither of you look even remotely tired. I, for one, am exhausted simply from _watching_ you."

"Demigod stamina and the endless supply of insults Percy supplies simply by being alive." Thalia quipped.

"Fighting with you isn't tiring, it's relaxing." Percy noted and Thalia thought that over before shrugging. "Do you have to go back to the Hunters?"

Thalia looked out the window at the nearly completely set sun. "Not for a bit, though I should be back before the Moon rises. Artemis might make and early return for a midnight hunt." Percy nodded and Thalia looked at him intensely. "Are you going to think over what I said about Nico and Bianca? And Zoe for that matter, though I have no idea why you'd feel guilty about her."

"Not guilty, sad." Percy corrected. "It just comes out as guilt. And you can't deny, I have every right to feel guilty about Nico."

"Yes, you failed to mention he was your cousin." Sally frowned a bit petulantly and Percy sighed before wrapping one arm around her and leaning his head on her shoulder.

"He and Bianca were the children of Hades," He explained, and Sally's eyes got wide at the implied meaning. "We didn't know until Nico flipped at me and banished some skeletons. Annabeth told Thalia, just for Big Three kid's rights, but aside from that we want to keep it a secret."

"There's something happening with the next child of the Big Three to turn sixteen, and since I'm immortal everyone thinks it's going to be Percy," Thalia explained.

"I've gathered as much," Sally nodded along.

"But if I… er, don't make it to sixteen or something, we don't want anyone knowing Nico's even alive. I've—_we've_ all put a lot on him already at such a young age, we don't want a prophecy this big weighing over him either."

"Plus, the other side might take him and try to use him which wouldn't just be terrible for him, but everyone else as well." Thalia concluded.

"So we keep who he is hidden. Or try to. I think Chiron might already know; I'm a terrible lair."

"Yes, we know." Thalia smirked.

Sally sighed heavily. "That poor boy… I wish…" Percy hugged her tighter, knowing full well she wished he would be able to sit here in safety with the other two children of the Big Three and not be so alone right now. Percy pictured his mom's motherly attitude picked up ten notches if she ever met Nico and the freaked but pleased look on his face that Thalia often had, and smiled a bit at the mental image. That's where Nico _should_ be, not wandering out there alone.

"Before he ran away, did he bicker with you like you two do?" Sally wondered.

Percy actually laughed and Thalia smiled as she rolled her eyes.

"Gods, he was the most _annoying_ little twerp ever," Percy laughed.

"He could ask the absolute _worse_ and yet somehow perfect questions at the most inappropriate times." Thalia snickered.

"He was so hyper, and excited about everything, even the Manticore that'd kidnapped him and was trying to kill us, he just kept blurting out these random stats from a card game of the gods and telling everyone how cool they were." Percy remembered. "He also saved my life when I got into an agreement with Mr. D, who was about to turn me into a dolphin or something, and he came running in to tell him how epic he thought the Dionysus Mythomagic card was. It totally threw Mr. D, it was hilarious!"

"If I remember correctly, he also asked you if Annabeth was you're girlfriend didn't he?" Percy blushed heavily.

"Oh, uh, yeah, but he also asked why Annabeth let herself fall off a cliff is she was the daughter of the goddess of wisdom, so I'm not reading too much into his questions."

"Sure you aren't." Thalia and Sally chorused, laughing as he went beet red.

"He sounds adorable." Sally smiled, but the two demigods just looked at the ground as their smiles faded a bit.

He was annoying, no doubt about it, but looking back, he was rather endearing at times.

They wondered what he'd be like next time they met.

"Well, I better get going. Thanks for dinner Ms. J." Thalia said, and was thrown off-balance as Sally caught her in another hug as she made to get up.

"Stop by any time sweetie," Sally smiled and Thalia blushed a bit.

"O-ok. Uh, Percy! If I find out from Annabeth you're still blaming yourself or acting mopey, I swear on the river Styx I _will_ kick your ass." She glared at him as she opened the door to go.

Percy smiled, knowing she meant well. "I'd like to see you try!" He called back. "And… thanks for stopping by."

Thalia smiled a bit devilishly and saluted mockingly before slamming the door shut behind her.


	14. Grown Up

Paul wasn't a hundred percent sure what to make of dinner with Thalia: it had gone by too fast to really comprehend anything that happened. Her and Percy's constant stream of arguments moved too fast for him to keep up with, and it looked like Sally had given up completely at trying to follow it either.

"They're always like that? Really? And they never get tired?" She smiled over her coffee the next morning at a café before they went to a writing seminar.

"Their fathers argue a lot too, but they're on much better terms than their parents. That was good-natured arguing, and I hope you never have to see them really go at it." She smiled fondly.

"What happened last time they really went at it?" He asked warily, and Sally looked doubtful.

She paused for a moment, deciding.

"Our building lost power and my living room got flooded." She said simply and a bit too honestly for Paul to comprehend. "Though they used to go to the same camp together, and I heard some horror stories about their brawls there as well. They're less concerned about property damage when they're outside."

Paul blinked and stared at his cup.

_Blind faith. _

God, this was hard.

He swallowed his questions down with a bit of effort. "And uh… what do they get so upset about?" That seemed like a safe tangent topic.

Sally looked _proud_ almost at his restraint. "They just rub each other the wrong way sometimes. Annabeth is Percy's best friend, but she used to be Thalia's before she got sent away for a time, so when she came back there was a lot of tension over who was each other's best friend and some things like that. Also, Thalia and Percy are both natural-born leaders, and putting the both of them in the same room to duke out who was in charge can be a bit volatile."

"Percy seems pretty laid back though, I didn't peg him as a territorial type." Paul noted.

"He is, he just doesn't know it. Over things like his friends and family, and even this city and his camp sometimes, he can get really riled up when they're threatened. Thalia is just his natural rival, but they're friendly through most of it."

"Well, that's good. I suppose I could see the leader part, he is just one of those people. Thalia too, I guess, but she seems really formal about it or something. She also makes me kind of nervous," He admitted and Sally chuckled.

"She's certainly her own person, isn't she? Very bold, very loud, and always knows what she wants. If the way she tried to comfort Percy is any indicator of her tact."

Paul frowned, thinking of the reasons why Percy needed to be comforted, but that conversation had gone by in less than a couple minutes, and the two cousins' moods had switched so fast so flawlessly, he couldn't comprehend it. He wondered if Thalia had ADHD too; she _had_ mentioned something like it before playing cards, and that would make sense. He'd seen multiple ADHD kids talking once or twice in his teaching career, and they tended to shift in topics of conversations and moods like the wind shifts directions, and it was remarkable to watch it happen simultaneously with two or more people.

"Did you know what all that was about with Nico or Bianca?" He asked hesitantly, and Sally got this look in her eye that told him he was going to get an edited answer.

"I never met Nico or Bianca, and I'm sorry I didn't. From what I gathered it doesn't look like either of their parents are in the picture, and now poor Nico has run off somewhere… it breaks my heart, it does, but I'm not terribly surprised by it. As for Percy and Thalia's involvement, that's their own business, I won't stick my nose where is doesn't belong, especially when it's such a sore topic for Percy. I know he's torn up about it: he knew them both personally."

Paul couldn't help himself. "This is normal, yes? For kids, _children, _to be talking and dealing with adult things? This is one of those things I have to accepts."

Sally smiled, very, very sadly. "Yes. Again, it breaks my heart, but yes, sometimes you'll have to admit these children are simply more adult that perhaps even we'll ever become." She sighed and took a sip of her coffee.

Strangely enough, Paul didn't feel weirded out by that fact. If anything, he felt comforted that his feeling of Percy being a child yet and adult simultaneously made a bit more sense now. Not that he should be looking to make sense of anything, he should probably just give up on that idea as soon as possible.

"You look sad," Sally chuckled at him. "Either that or you're working on an invisible crossword puzzle." She smirked, and he laughed as well.

"Percy is a good kid. I don't like the idea of him being an adult before he has to."

Sally smiled warmly. "No, I don't either, but in a lot of ways, he still is a kid."

"How so?" He wondered aloud.

She smirked. "What are you doing over spring break?"


	15. Home Surf

"Don't get me wrong, this is the best idea ever, I'm just wondering if he'll be ok with Paul being there." Percy said hesitantly as Sally handed him their bags to put in the trunk of the car. "I mean, Montauk was one thing, but that was still on land, and this…"

"It'll be fine," Sally assured him as she pulled her hair back in the reflection of the car window, then paused a bit. "I think." She added as an afterthought.

"That is _really_ comforting." Percy grumbled, shutting the trunk and coming around to the passenger side.

"I had another dream…" Sally said slowly. "I think… well, again, I don't have demigod dreams, but I think it'll be alright." Percy mulled that over, then nodded, accepting that. "I'm still amazed it's even working out as I planned." She admitted, and Percy scoffed.

"Please, the docks manager loves me and worships the ground you walk on. He's only going to be upset that you're bringing your boyfriend too," He teased and Sally blushed a little.

"I may or may not have used that fact to pull this off," She sighed and Percy's eyes bugged.

"Uh-uh, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." He shook his head in horror, quickly getting in the car as Sally laughed at his expression.

0000000000000

_The Charlotte _was a beautiful, streamlined, multi-decked, powerful boat that Paul just couldn't stop gaping at. It bobbed in the water steadily, gently going up and down with the rolling waves beneath it, it's glittering blue and silver rails and waves designs etched on the base reflecting up the green sea water, casting it in and eerie glow that made it seem like and extension of the ocean waves itself. Its once-white hull had been worn a bit, but it only made it more beautiful, in a natural way instead of the gleaming, artificial feel brand-new boats set off. The wooden tops were deep, dark, reddish mahogany with more subtle wave patterns etched in the backs of the blue and white striped seat cushions and old-fashioned ship steering wheel. It's billowing, bleach-white sails were hanging loose in the gusty sea breeze, waiting to be tethered and pull the sea beauty out beyond the horizon.

Paul knew a thing or two about sailing and driving boats, but none to be even close to an expert. He did however appreciate the boat's beauty on a superficial and a technical level, enough to know that it was an astonishingly lush and extravagant vehicle that didn't quite fit into what he knew of Percy and Sally. The two lived pretty simply, getting only what they needed and not really wanting much more than they had. Percy did seem to go through a lot of clothes, his often being worn down to nothing in a couple weeks or torn and shredded after a day out at school for some reason. Sally enjoyed splurging on books and a good CD, but they hardly ever went out to eat or bought expensive foods or fancy clothing: they just weren't high-maintenance people in the least.

The boat was more than enough to make up for it, and Paul couldn't figure out why, until he saw Percy's face.

"Oh my gods, th-that…" He spluttered when Sally pointed out the boat.

"It's ours for one week, so no crashing it." Sally said, proud of herself for her major steal.

Percy scoffed, eyes not leaving the boat. "As if I could bear to let anything hurt her," He declared, darting ahead and leaping off the dock onto the deck before Paul could blink.

"Her?" Paul said, amused at Percy's child-like glee as he ran his hands over the ropes connecting to the sails.

"Yes, it's a her, and she's beautiful," He cooed, pointedly ignoring Paul's obvious enjoyment in his reaction. Paul laughed at he helped take the bags down onto the deck, and turned to help Sally down, when she surprised him by landing on the deck from a great leap, just as gracefully as Percy had. She beamed at him in excitement, and suddenly her hair didn't look quite as streaked with gray, and her face seemed smoother and younger in the sunlight than she ever had before.

She laughed at his look of wonder, and pulled him along, "Come on, we should get life preservers on before Percy sets us off full throttle." She stashed their bags below deck and returned with two life preservers and Percy jumped here and there with inhuman speed and alarming grace as the ropes around them seemed to fall into place at his touch.

"Only two?" He asked, accepting the life jacket she handed him.

She smirked and he didn't miss Percy's wild grin behind her. "Percy's a strong swimmer, and he's driving, we don't want to impede on his reaction time." She reasoned and Paul noticed Percy biting back a laugh.

"You're driving? Do I want to know what she means when she says 'don't crash it'?" Paul asked, taking a seat on the lower deck as Percy fiddled with the ropes tying them to the dock.

"I think she's referring to a time when I crashed my stepfather's camaro, and she knows perfectly well it wasn't my fault." He sniffed, smirking a bit tightly at the memory.

"I was _referring_ to the things that weren't your fault. I was hoping we could escape them, at least for one week." She sighed.

Percy laughed. "I may be on home turf— or, uh, surf—but that doesn't mean I can control things any better. Perhaps a little, but not really."

She huffed. "Well, we're not in the Bermuda Triangle, I'd've thought the chances of things being in control would go up."

Percy shrugged. "Maybe. Still, I'll try not to hurt her, she really is a beautiful boat," He sighed happily, taking the wheel again and suddenly the sails sprang to life and pulled them away from the dock with enough force to make Paul grab the railing for support. Percy and Sally didn't seem to notice the rough start.

He wondered vaguely what that little exchange was about, but was almost immediately distracted by Percy weaving in and out of the other boats docked at the harbor like he was on a skateboard rather than a thirty foot boat, and after one too many close calls, he jumped as Sally placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Relax," She laughed, "Percy's a good driver, with boats at least."

"I've honestly never tried driving a car before," Percy shrugged, "Though it's probably safe to bet it wouldn't go as smoothly as this," He admitted, and as if to prove a point, slid in-between two other boats with as little as a couple inches clearance on either side and Paul had to fight back a gasp as he clutched the railing tightly, completely convince they were going to collide with one of them any second.

Sally and Percy just laughed heartily at his expression.

Once clear of the other boats and docks, Percy jumped up and grabbed the ropes, re-tying them here and there with that same strange speed and grace Paul could never achieve even on a flat surface on dry land. Just as suddenly as the first time, the sails caught the wind and the boat rocketed through the breaker waves. He gasped and clung to the railing for dear life as he expected the first breaker wave to cap-size them, but the wave seemed to change its mind at the last minute and dive underneath the boat instead of over it, giving it a boost of speed as it rushed down the back and towards the next wave.

Each wave there after only seemed to get bigger, but still only supported the boat's speed and smooth passage rather than disrupting it. Percy laughed as he grabbed the steering wheel again and turned it rapidly, and the whole boat shifted with the winds. Soon they were speeding off at a speed a sailboat shouldn't be able to maintain, catching the waves and splashing in the ocean quells like a skier maneuvered bumps on a snowy hill.

Paul found himself laughing along as Percy and Sally smiled brightly into the glittering curtains of jewel-like water droplets that came up in cascades as the boat crashed through the surf, each drop spinning rainbows and glinting beautifully in the strong sunlight.

Sally looked far younger than Paul had ever seen her, with her hair flying around wildly in the wind and her worry-free smile contagious enough to get him grinning in glee as well.

The most amazing thing though, was Percy himself. His tanned skin and wild, messy hair looked right at home against the sails; his cargo pants, plain white t-shirt, and flip-flops on the dark wood of the deck making him look like someone born to sail and be on the high seas. Paul often compared Percy's emerald eyes to the color of the sea, but only now, looking at Percy with the wide open ocean all around them, did his see how true that statement was. His eyes, crinkled now in a child-like smile of utter joy, seemed to glow with the same power and feeling of uncontrollable wildness and vast mystery of the ocean itself.

He seemed to be able to reach out and command the waves to aid him, tell the winds where to pull them, control the utterly uncontrollable sea itself. The idea sent a thrilling and yet terrifying shiver down Paul's spine, though he couldn't understand why.

Paul felt like he was seeing a version of the two he'd never known before, but it was exhilarating. This version of Sally made his heart melt into a gooey puddle with happiness for her own happiness, and this version of Percy, while alarming and intimidating, made him feel like he was really seeing the boy for the first time.

All the secrets, everything they didn't tell him, everything they hid and lied about, it didn't matter anymore because _this_ was the real them, that few, if any, ever got to see. _This_ was who they are, _this_ was everything that made them up, and it wasn't bad.

It was beautiful.

Whatever secrets they had, they could keep them as long as they wanted, because it didn't matter what other fluff and unimportant things of superficial life they hid, the two people on this boat with him right now were two of the greatest creatures he'd ever seen, and he'd love them anyway.

He'd love Sally anyway.

It was right then, as they speed across the ocean, inhaling the fresh ocean breeze and tasting the salt water on their lips, did Paul know he'd never want anything that wasn't right here, with them. He'd never want anything else but the beautiful woman sitting across from him, whether she was smiling into the ocean wind, or stressed as she typed out a paper due next week, or tight-eyed because she didn't know where her son was, or over-protective as she argued why he should eat so much junk food, he would always and forever love her.

They sailed on as the afternoon sun dipped into the late afternoon, and Paul just sat there with a wide smile on his face, laughing along with Sally as she pointed out the dolphins that seemed to be following them, or joking along with Percy as he steered them farther out to sea. He sat there smiling as the sun got lower and he nursed the sunburn he's gotten, while Sally and Percy laughed at their new, beautifully natural tans. He sat there smiling as Sally leaned into him as the sun sank deeper, and turned the whole sky a violent red and orange, with the clouds their blues and pinks and purples, while Percy dove off the deck and swam off, promising he's stay close with a devilish grin.

He sat there as Sally eventually fell asleep on his shoulder, and he looked up at the stars and wondered how to get this beautiful woman to spend the rest of forever with him.


	16. He'll Always Come Home

**Hello internet, **

**So, i've been thinking... how the Hades am i gonna end this thing?**

**I've got a general idea, but with the return of school looming in the imminent future, i won't be writing as quickly or a fluently as i have this past week, and i'd really like to cut down on some of that indecision before writing. I can stomp out a chapter in less than half an hour if i know what i want to write, it's just getting to that point that's difficult. **

**Any ideas people of the internet?**

**Also, i've taken this story to a kinda serious and emotional turn, and that's not what i'd planned for this story at all. It's supposed to be funny! Or funny at times, and i'm losing my grip on my funny!**

**Any funny ideas either?**

**Please?**

**Ah, well, enjoy. This one's a short one. **

"I have never seen either of you so happy," Paul said, holding Sally's hand as they strolled easily up the beach of Montauk. Sometime in the night, Percy had returned from his swim and miraculously parked _The Charlotte_ in the bay near the little shore-side cabin.

The morning sun was just cresting over the flat horizon, and seagulls and the sounds of waves crashing rhythmically seemed muted in the early morning. It was a bit chilly, but they had two blankets from the cabin wrapped over their shoulders as they picked their way barefoot down the beach. Percy had disappeared, but Paul suspected he was swimming again, despite the chilly water.

"We are both definitely in out element," Sally laughed. "I thought this would be a good little treat… he's had so much on his mind recently…"

"… like a last hurrah, almost?" Paul wondered quietly, and her hand tightened around his a bit.

"Why would you say that?" She said calmly, but by her tone Paul knew she could already tell.

"He did that whole thing with Christmas, and it had the same feel as this trip does, only you initiated it. And every time he disappears, you get more and more worried, like you're expecting him not to come home one day."

Sally said nothing, and they walked for a very long time before she spoke again.

"Percy has more important things to worry about that me or you or school or anything like that." She finally said, thought it seemed like it pained her to say it.

Paul was shocked, "What's more important that family? Than his future?"

Sally gently squeezed his hand, not looking at him. "It is more important. I'm not selfish enough to think otherwise. He has duties and responsibilities I can't know about, I can't understand. My baby will have to do it on his own, no matter how hard that is for me to grasp."

Paul couldn't understand where the heck Percy would disappear off to that was more important than his mother and his future. Paul firmly believed that education was the key to a better tomorrow; he was a teacher after all. This idea there was something more than that was a bit overwhelming; he supposed that if there _were_ such an important thing, then it certainly wouldn't be done by a fourteen year old boy, would it?

"This responsibility… why does it mean he can't come home?" Paul asked gently. "He asked that, you know, over Christmas. He asked what a would do with you if he weren't there."

He felt like eating his own foot when he saw the tears in Sally's eyes.

"No, oh god, no, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up all these hard topics, I just-"

"It's fine," Sally smiled a bit sadly, blinking back her tears. "I guess it's just pre-empty nest syndrome times ten." She smiled so sadly at Paul that it nearly broke his heart. "Percy is strong, but he may not come back one day. I dread it, but I'm not naïve enough to think it's not coming. I'm just glad we—us three—could have some time together before it comes."

Paul pulled her into a hug, not wanting to see her fight to cry anymore. But, even as he silently told her it was ok, she didn't break down and cry, she simply hugged him back.

The boy who'd commanded the boat yesterday had to come back. The boy who'd gone through so much trouble to make his mother smile on Christmas would always come back for her, right? He was too strong and in control to do anything else but do what he needed to do and find his way home.

Yet, Sally knew him best, and even she doubted it.

On some level Paul wasn't thinking about right then, he'd actually made a huge step in his process of blind faith. He didn't doubt her when Sally said Percy was important and has responsibilities above everything they could imagine. He didn't doubt her when she said Percy may not come home one day, even though Paul couldn't see any reason he wouldn't.

He didn't doubt when he got the feeling that "not coming home" might mean a lot more than simply getting lost.


	17. Last Time I Danced

"Mr. B! You got tan!" Marian approved as Paul walked into class the day after spring break.

"Thank you Marian, for that observation, how was your break?"

"Boring. I did that stupid paper you assigned us." She sighed.

Paul raised an eyebrow. "We worked on that in class for two weeks prior to break, surely you didn't spend _all_ your vacation completing it?"

She blushed a bit, seeming to realize her mistake. "Well, it's done now, and it's an A paper if I can have some input."

"Suggestions appreciated, but pointless." Paul smiled and she huffed in annoyance.

"Hey, Mr. B, are you and Sally chaperoning the spring dance?" Jasmine piped up. As was typical of high school life, as soon as one big event was over, it was on to planning for the next one. Spring break down, spring dance to go.

The class turned their attention from their conversations back to him for his answer.

He smiled knowingly at their interest. "We talked about it over break, yes. She said she would be willing to help bake some desserts for it and chaperone with me, she is quite eager to meet all of you."

"Have you been talking about us?" Richard demanded.

"Forget that, have you been _complaining_ about us?!" Samantha huffed.

Paul laughed. "No, no, I assure you it's all good commentary. I actually enjoy teaching, and if I ever felt the need to speak badly of my children, perhaps it would be time for a career change." He chuckled again and they seemed comforted.

"Is Percy coming then?" Marina asked hopefully.

Paul frowned, "He doesn't even attend this school yet." He reminded her.

"Yeah, and now's all the more reason to go! Get his name known before he even gets here!" Jasmine explained excitedly.

"His name is already known apparently," Paul pointed out.

"We want to meet him!" Ginny complained.

"Yeah, I met him for like, thirty seconds, and he sounds like an awesome guy! Please bring him!"

Paul raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I will ask him, but somehow I doubt he'll be up for it. In any case, we still have a month, and _Catcher in the Rye_ to get through before then, so take out your textbooks please."

"_Promise_ you'll ask him?" Marian demanded.

Paul sighed in amusement at her. "Yes, I promise."

0000000000000

"Mom, the last time I was at a dance, I nearly got everyone killed. Technically, Annabeth _would've_ died if she hadn't been riding a Manticore at the time, and even then, that's not the safest thing in the world to be doing if you know what I mean..."

Sally shot her son an exasperated look.

"Percy, you are not going to battle this time, you are going to a dance."

"Yeah… that's what we said _last_ time."

Sally rolled her eyes, but kept walking ahead in determination. "Paul asked you to come, so please just behave."

"Paul asked if I _wanted_ to come, and I have no control over whether I 'behave' or not! Depends on who shows up to this dance…"

"Well, unforeseen circumstances aside, you are coming to help me set up the food and since I am your ride home, you will be staying until I leave as well."

"Which was your plan to get me to this dance in the first place. I will stay, but I'm also pointing out that it wouldn't be anything to walk home."

"It would take you an hour, easily, and by that time it would have been worth it just to stay and let me drive you home."

"Or I could call Blackjack or a cab and be home in ten minutes…. Not that I'm going to!" He backpedaled at the look she was giving him.

"You're here!" They stopped their conversation as they spotted Paul at the top steps of Goode High school, jogging down to help them with the boxes of baked goods filling their arms. He opted to take some from Sally, since even though Percy was carrying twice as much as she was, he seemed to not need the help at all. The burden didn't even make his walk falter awkwardly like it did to Paul's and Sally's.

"I'm happy you guys could come! I love my class, I really do, but chaperoning a dance isn't how I'd wish to spend my Friday night." Paul admitted, smiling happily at them as they made their way into the school.

Percy's cheeks colored a bit as Sally grinned triumphantly at her son. "Uh, yeah." He agreed.

Paul gave a wry smile. "Your mother tricked you into this didn't she?" He chuckled.

"Not _tricked_ so much as gave me no choice. I knew what she was doing, she's just really good at doing it." Paul laughed as Sally shrugged like she didn't care if her motives were transparent or not, just so long as she got her way.

"Well, I assure you it won't be that bad. Not to embarrass you, but my classes have heard a great deal of you two, and are excited to finally meet you."

Percy blushed for real that time.

"I think you did embarrass him." Sally laughed gently, nudging her son's shoulder with her elbow as they carried their boxes into the school gym, which had been decked out in hundreds of white and green balloons and streamers, a stage assembled with a band setting up on it, and four long tables lining the back wall with several parents and teachers placing food and decorations on it. As they walked in, Paul reached over and turned the main lights off, so the room was only illuminated by the half dozen spot lights pointing at the ceiling, casting the entire place in a greenish silver light as it reflected off the balloons.

"Paul!" A woman called, waving to them. She was obviously a teacher though Percy didn't know why he thought that: just instincts or something.

"This is Miss. Mendly and a colleague of mine." Paul introduced them as he set his load down and turned to take Sally's from her. "Jen, this is Sally and Percy."

"Please, call me Jenny," The teacher dismissed perkily, shaking Sally's hand. She had chin length blonde hair and hazel eyes, dressed in a simple pink dress-shirt and gray pants, many silver jingly bracelets lacing her wrists; she looked young and vibrant, like a kindergarten teacher would be.

Percy put his boxes down and shifted awkwardly as she turned and shook his hand as well.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you!" She gushed in a bubbly voice. "You don't know how ecstatic we all are that Paul here finally found someone! Who likes Greek mythology as well, I hear: truly perfect!" She cooed in her bubble-gum voice and Percy had an odd flashback of an Aphrodite girl freaking out about a boy band or whatever they got worked up about.

Paul seemed just as uncomfortable near the woman as Percy felt, but Sally looked rather amused by the woman.

"My, my, you're so tall for fourteen year old!" Jenny chirped, taking Percy in with slight surprise written on her face.

"Uh… thanks?" Percy said, shifting uncomfortably again.

Sally smiled and saved her son from the peppy woman by calling her attention away. "So, what do you teach?" She asked politely.

Jenny's eyes lit up in child-like wonder with a matching grin. "Advanced placement Calculus and Statistics."

Sally and Percy blinked at her.

Now it was Paul's turn to smirk. "I know, ironic isn't it?"

Jenny tilted her head to the side in confusion, sending him a questioning glance.

"Mr. B!" The group turned to see a small-ish girl with long blonde hair and a middle-eastern looking girl with black hair and a streak of cherry red splashed through her bangs running up to them. Both were in frilly dresses and deadly looking high heels on their feet.

"Hello Marian, Jasmine." Paul nodded to them in amused exasperation. Percy noticed Paul talked differently, more formally, even for him. These were evidently two of his students and that was his 'teacher voice'.

"Oh my god, are you Ms. Jackson?" The dark haired girl gushed just like Ms. Mendly had.

"You're _so_ pretty! Mr. B, you didn't tell us she was pretty!" The blonde chirped happily.

Percy noted with some vindictive pleasure that it was Paul who was blushing very hard now as Sally gave him a jokingly accusing look.

"Yes Paul, you didn't tell them I was pretty?" It sounded like Sally was trying very hard to keep the laughter out of her voice and nearly failing.

"Girls," Paul tried to warn half-heartedly in his teacher voice, but they all ignored him.

"And you're Percy!" Marian turned to the demigod who floundered a bit at the blunt and rapid change of conversation.

"Uh, yeah. Hey, don't I know you?" He frowned cocking his head to the side, looking closer at her face. "I recognize you from when I was here before Christmas."

Both teen girls looked shocked he actually remembered them, but their amusement was quickly replaced by glee.

"He _pays attention!_ Oh, I approve!" Jasmine giggled.

"I'm Marian, and yeah, we've met for like ten seconds. You're awfully observant, aren't you?" Marian smirked and Percy shrugged, at a loss of what to say in response to that.

The adults turned back to their own conversations and the girls grabbed Percy by one arm each and pulled him away to where students were beginning to file in.

"You're gonna hang with us, right?" Jasmine pleaded mockingly as Marian nodded in agreement.

"Uh… I don't… um…" Percy stuttered, confused at their actions.

"Oh, come on, _please?_ You have to meet our English class, they'll be stoked to see you!" Marian chirped happily.

"Ok, how much has Paul been talking about me?" Percy demanded and they giggled.

"Not too much, just enough to get us to shut up and get back to work," Jasmine dismissed. "But that's not why we're excited to introduce you to our class." She whispered conspiratorially, and Marian giggled again.

"Ok then… why are you?" He asked suspiciously. His instincts were telling him he wasn't going to like this, but he didn't think there were any monsters here… yet.

The girls exchanged skeptical looks.

"You poor boy, you really don't know, do you?" Jasmine shook her head sadly.

"Know what?" Percy demanded, a bit nervous now.

"Don't freak, we just need you to meet someone in particular then you can ditch us." Marian assured him, smiling a bit gentler at the panicked look in his green eyes.

"Uh, I don't want to ditch you exactly…"

Ok, in all honesty, he kind of did. But that was beside the point.

The girls exchanged the looks that told him they could see right through his bluff.

"Don't worry, ten minutes of you time, and then we have dates we need to hunt out before the night's over," Jasmine winked and Percy remained silent, unsure of how to respond yet again.

Marian perked up as she spotted her target coming through the door.

"Melinda!"


	18. Fabulous Now run

**Hello internet!**

**Merry Christmas/New Year and all that stuff!**

**Enjoy!**

The band had not played through an entire song before most of the kids in attendance at the Spring Dance knew of the new guy sitting and talking with Melinda Samuels.

Melinda Samuels, aka, the quiet book worm easily more athletic than every boy in her grade combined, and who was quite the conundrum for Goode High School. She had a reputation for blushing for apparently no reason and looking down at her shoes when you talked to her, but also for beating you to death with a hockey stick if you got in her way on the court in gym class.

And by the big grin on the new guy's face, apparently he liked the shy, violent type.

"I'm a genius." Marian complimented herself as she sipped her punch where her and Jasmine where loitering by a wall and looking out at the dance floor.

Jasmine rolled her eyes. "Quite the little cupid you are," She agreed sarcastically, but Marian ignored her friend in favor of watching the two strange people interact. She didn't think they were flirting, but Percy _was_ only fourteen and Melinda _was_ painfully shy. Besides, they _had_ only been talking for three minutes.

"You only did that 'cuz they match," Michael appeared from the crowd and invited himself into their conversation, speaking bluntly—as usual—as he leaned up against the wall. Jasmine looked cheered by his arrival while Marian frowned in distaste at his intrusion before looking back over at the pair, confused.

"They match?" She asked, but even as she said it she realized what he meant. Of course, it would take the rather slow football jock to see the blatantly obvious things people of actual intelligence often overlooked as unimportant.

Percy was built with some serious muscle for a kid younger than most others in the room, with those charming eyes that immediately entranced Marian the first time they met, with fidgeting yet graceful movements, and a sort of self-confidence mixed in with a kind of alert paranoia in the way he spoke and glanced about the room. Melinda, with long dark brown hair pulled neatly back in a braid that fell down her back and startling sandy-tan eyes framed in a pale, gently-freckled round face, had the same subtle strength, beauty, and odd movements as she spoke with the green-eyed boy before her. They did indeed match, in the way they talked and moved and fidgeted, as well as sharing the same distinct features like their unique eyes and mature figures for teenagers.

"Huh," Marian said cleverly.

"_I _think it's just stereotypical. The pretty ones ending up together." Jasmine sniffed, but with a hint of sadness.

"The pretty ones, but not the popular ones." Marian pointed out trying to defend the new couple a bit, but her friend shrugged like it didn't matter in her eyes.

"Who is he anyway?" Michael huffed, looking a bit unnerved by Jasmine's obvious jealousy, and Marian rolled her eyes at his tactlessness. Jasmine smirked in pleasure.

"Percy Jackson, Mr. Blowfis's girlfriend's son." Marian supplied and Michael's eyes went wide.

"Whoa, I totally thought he was a senior," He was suddenly eyeing the younger boy with renewed wariness, like he was sizing him up.

"That's what we said," Marian giggled.

Michael looked at the couple a bit longer.

"Whatever," He finally decided, tearing his eyes away and placing his gaze on Jasmine. "Wanna dance?"

She looked pleasantly surprised. "Do you know _how_ to dance?"

Michael rolled his eyes. "Yeah, jump up 'n down, and then sway a bit for the slower songs. Piece 'o cake." He grabbed her hand as she giggled and dragged her away. Jasmine shot her friend one last grin and disappeared into the crowd.

"A real charmer, that one." Marian drawled sarcastically to no one and smiled as she went to get

0000000000000

"Who is he?"

"...with_ Melinda_, you know her, she's the quiet one..."

"...broke my finger playing soccer..."

"...Mr. _Blowfish?_ Why's he here then?"

"...did you see those eyes?..."

"...Weird, but fitting..."

"He's not that good looking."

"You're just jealous."

"... _fourteen?_ Really?..."

"Do they gossip like this all the time?" Percy tilted his head as he tried to drown out the not-so-quiet whispering on the dance floor. Unfortunately, speaking over the music meant speaking loud enough for most to hear.

"Uh, I guess. What high school doesn't'?" Melinda shrugged, glancing at the ground nervously and blushing heavily every time someone glanced their way… which was pretty much constantly. "Listen... do you have any clue why Marian and Jasmine said I had to meet you? They're a grade above me, I don't even know them, do you...?"

"No, I just met them today too. Ten minutes ago in fact." Percy frowned glancing around the room for the two girls that had disappeared. Aside from a quick introduction of names ("Hey Mel! This is Percy. Percy, Mel! Have fun you two!") Jasmine and Marian had been less-than helpful.

"They're flirts, from what I hear. I think they like playing matchmaker." Melinda said with a heavy blush, nervously brushing back her hair unnecessarily as it was tied back, more out of a nervous habit than anything.

"Oh..." Percy said dully, feeling his cheeks color as well.

"We don't... I mean they're just meddling. Do you... uh, do you have a, um..."

"Girlfriend?" Percy gulped, looking unseeingly out at the crowd again.

"...yeah." She said weakly.

He didn't respond, but frowned a bit in concentration. He didn't but... but what? Why didn't he just say no?

For some reason he pictured Melinda with blonde hair, and realized it would look rather odd on her.

"Do you play sports?" Melinda suddenly interrupted his thoughts and he looked back in alarm. She was still blushing heavily, but seemed a bit more determined to follow this train of thought rather than stay on the awkward one.

"Uh... no. I like basketball and stuff, but don't really follow it or play officially."

"Really? You look athletic, like the kind of guy to be into every sport known to man." Percy smiled warmly, recognizing the subject change for what it was, and was grateful.

"Well, so do you. Do you play something?"

She blushed again. "Uh, no... I'm... uh, too competitive."

Percy felt his eyes arch upwards. "You... don't seem like the competitive type."

She shrugged, looking at the ground and not meeting his eyes. "I uh… I'm good at sports, I just… I'm not good at control… uh, I can't…"

Percy laughed. "I get it, I've met plenty of girls—and guys come to think if it—just like that." He was thinking of the Aphrodite and Demeter cabins, who were girly and 'I-might-break-a-nail' hands-off like that, but then you hand them a sword and call them weak, and they could make you regret it. Aphrodite kids were girly and concerned with looking good, whilst Demeter kids were kind and quiet… until any of them got a weapon and the motivation to kill.

"Really?" Melinda looked up, intrigued. "I've never met anyone else like that."

Percy beamed. "Trust me, there are plenty others out there just like you." This knowledge seemed to comfort her greatly, and she stopped fidgeting so much and actually smiled just as warmly as Percy was. It didn't feel nervous or frightened, but actually honestly happy. "So, you don't do sports, but what do you do for fun?"

She thought for a moment. "Uh, rock climbing I guess… I love to hike and am part of a _Clean up the City_ community service group. Litter control and stuff." She shrugged.

"That's cool… I can imagine Manhattan isn't the greatest place to be on litter duty."

She laughed. "Ah, no, not really. New York, the city of litterbugs." They chuckled and looked out at the crowd. "What o you do for fun then?" She asked.

He shifted a bit. What _did_ he do for fun?

Train. Strategize with Annabeth. Train. IM Grover or camp. Train. Get attacked by monsters. Train. Attempt homework. Train some more. Did he mention training?

"Fencing." He blurted out. That was sort of like sword training, right?

Melinda lifted one eyebrow, like she sensed the half-lie. "Fencing?" She said skeptically.

"Uh… and sailing. I love to sail and swim and canoe… water things I guess."

"Water things, and fencing?" She asked, smiling a bit at the odd combination.

"Uh… less fencing, more water things. I really, really like to sail. We went sailing for spring break, it was awesome…" He wasted some time recounting their time out on the ocean— skipping the part where he took a detour and saved a few whales and turtles and friendly sea serpents and visited a few underwater local mermen for a couple hours— and then about Montauk and their days on the beach.

"I like the way you talk about it." She interrupted him at one point.

"The way I talk about it?" Percy asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion, and for some reason she blushed again. She'd been getting really good and talking comfortably with him and not blushing awkwardly, he didn't understand the reverse in progress.

"About the ocean. You talk about it like an old friend or something. I like it, it makes it seem more personable somehow."

"Well… my dad loves the sea too. I like talking about it." He admitted with another half-lie. Not really a lie really, lie by omission at most. "And what do you mean 'more personable'?"

"More personable like… like… well, the sea's just so big, isn't it? It's so powerful and free and wild and… out of reach. So far away from anything we'll ever get to, but the way you talk about it, it's like a friend, something us mortals can really relate to." She tried to joke a little at the end, but he was staring at her like she'd grown another head. "What?" She said, shifting nervously again and uselessly brushing her hair back.

"Uh… nothing. That's… a fair point." He said uncertainly, looking back out at the dance floor, and they fell into a semi-uncomfortable silence.

Percy was pondering her statement, wondering in what way he talked about his father's domain that made it more accessible to mortals. He remembered Chiron once saying something like demigods were the bridges from the immortal world to the mortal one, and he wondered if he'd literally been acting as such without even realizing it.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as something caught his eye in the crowd, but he wasn't sure what. His instincts were kicking in and he fidgeted a bit more compulsively.

"Uh oh," He muttered, scanning the crowd again as he realized what this feeling was. Sure enough, a few seconds later he locked eyes with a pair of yellow, snake-like orbs. The monster looked like a normal teacher save for the eyes, and Percy—knowing he wasn't exactly as good as seeing monsters as most demigods—forced himself to look through the Mist at the real monster. It was a snake, the size of a man, with pink and yellow scales and would've looked generally un-vicious, more like a tropical bird really, except for the saber-tooth tiger fangs that protruded so far out of its mouth, he was amazed it didn't impale himself in the chest every time it looked down.

"Something wrong?" Melinda asked, picking up on his fidgeting. She too, in response to his discomfort, was glancing nervously about the room.

"Uh…" Percy looked back at the monster, whose yellow eyes were carefully scanning the room. "Nope, nothing at all. Listen, I've got to go, but it was real nice meeting you." He nodded to her with a big smile, trying to convey the same warmth as before while almost getting into battle mode in the face of an imminent threat.

She looked a little shocked but smiled back warmly. "Yeah, you too. I'll see you around?"

He nodded, looking back out at the crowd where the monster had lifted his chin like it was sniffing and starting to move closer to their corner. "Uh, yeah, I might be attending her next year." He said quickly as he stood, glancing around to take in where the nearest exits were and ignoring the voice in his head that sounded oddly like Annabeth that scolded him for not taking note of those when he first arrived.

"That's cool," She said brightly. "Maybe we could catch up, I've enjoyed talking to you. Not many people care to sit and talk to the quiet ADHD girl in the back of the class."

Percy stopped dead in his fidgeting and put his full attention back on the girl. "Did you say ADHD?" He gaped openly at her.

"Uh , yeah?' She said hesitantly at his intensity. "ADHD and Dyslexia, which is a _great_ combination let me tell you… this is actually my third high school, and I'm only a sophomore! I'm not easy to place, but Mr. Blofis is really good at teaching Dyslexic kids. It's been good here."

Percy was gaping at her like she had a second head again.

"Oh Gods, I _really_ hope this isn't a coincidence," He muttered to himself, then louder, "Listen… uh, there's not easy way to explain this, but you're going to need to come with me for a minute."

She blinked.

"Why?" She demanded.

He rolled his eyes, glancing over his shoulder nervously. "Do you have anything better going on at the moment?" He challenged offering her a hand.

She paused, pursing her lips before realizing that she did not in fact have anyone to talk to or dance with beside the kind boy offering her his hand.

"Fine," She sighed, taking his hand and gasping as he gripped it much tighter than she'd expected and pulled her roughly to her feet.

"Great, fabulous! Now run." He deadpanned, still holding her hand and ducking beneath the outstretched arms of a teacher… that looked like he was about to cuff him over the head.

"Whoa, did that teacher just try to hit you?"She gasped as Percy pulled them expertly through the crowd much faster than she thought was possible for two people to maneuver.

"The short answer? Yes. Yes he did." Percy said nonchalantly as they broke away from the crowd at a sprint.

_***Meanwhile… ***_

The two holding hands dashed pass where Marian, Jasmine, and Michel were taking a break from dancing at the snack bar.

"These cookies are heavenly…." Michael moaned as he stuffed three blue chocolate chip cookies into his mouth.

"Hmm…" Marian hummed watching him eat with obvious disgust and sipping her punch as a distraction.

"Where're they going?" Jasmine asked with raised eyebrows watching the two younger kids rush past the table like they were going out for track or something.

"Get some." Michael said without missing a beat, his mouth still full, and Marian whacked him upside the head with a glare, making him choke and cough violently.

"Oh, leave him be. Looks like your match-making went well." Jasmine noted, picking up a cookie and nodding to her friend.

Marian watched the two kids disappear out a side door and smiled a bit. "Yeah, I'm amazing aren't I?" she joked, turning back and picking up cookie herself. She turned her back to the door just in time to miss the teacher chasing after them at inhuman speed.

_***Elsewhere…***_

Sally and Paul were laughing as they the trolley holding two newly filled water dispensers back to the main dance area and Paul pointed out the classrooms of his fellow colleagues, reciting a few stories of his coworkers.

"…every day, I'm telling you, garlic and spinach pizza for breakfast and lunch. The kids complain she smells, and honestly, I don't have the heart to correct them." Sally let out a peal of laughter.

"Oh gods, that poor woman! You'd think as a teacher she wouldn't set herself up like that! You know how cruel kids can be…" She laughed again, clutching her stomach as she fought for breath.

"Gods?" Paul asked with a confused look over his smile at her laughter.

"What?" She asked wiping a tear from her eyes and chuckling again.

"You said 'oh gods' as in, more than one?" She seemed confused at his question for a moment before her eyes went wide and realization set in with a little bit of… horror?

"Oh, a slip up. Sorry, nothing really." She assured him with a smile, the horror gone in an instant.

"Oh… ok." He let it be. "Oh! This room belongs to Harold Lichen, and I swear, if he's not ninety something then I'd eat my Shakespeare poem collection. You should have seen him last week, he-"

"Mom!"

Sally turned from Paul to see Percy standing at the end of the hallway waving his arms at her rather urgently.

"Percy?!" She cried back in alarm.

"I'm going to camp! Be back soon!" He yelled back and disappeared around the corner leaving a mildly surprised looking Sally looking blankly at the end of the hallway.

"Camp? Now?" Paul marveled suspiciously, but Sally didn't respond.

"YOU KIDS GET BACK HERE!" An adult voice bellowed, echoing down the hallway to the couple. Paul saw a rather disheveled looking teacher dash by, apparently chasing Percy out of the school.

Sally gasped and lurched forward but seemed to catch herself and paused after a few steps.

"Oh… I hope he'll be ok." Paul heard her fret under her breathe as she clutched her heart in… fear?

"Is this why Percy doesn't stay at schools very long? He doesn't get along with teachers?" Paul wondered aloud, but it sounded skeptical to his own ear. He didn't really believe Percy wouldn't get along with anyone, he wasn't that sort of kid, and he'd gotten along with Jenny just fine. He was a good kid, but then why…?

Sally turned back to Paul with a guarded expression and stared at him with measuring eyes for a long time. "Did you know that teacher?" She eventually said and Paul was taken aback at the change in subject.

"Uh…" He knew that guy was a teacher, but where had he seen him before? Here he was telling Sally about his coworkers, pointing out each of their classrooms and telling anecdotes, but he couldn't place that man's face. But he _was_ a teacher… right?

Sally seemed to get her answer from his lack of response, and what she meant to convey seemed to have been said, so she moved back to him and urged him to keep pushing the trolley.

"Let's go back to the dance." She said with a reluctant sigh, and Paul looked at her for a long moment before keeping up his pace again.

"And Percy…?"

She looked determinedly down the hallway where she watched her son disappear. "He'll be back soon."

There it was again. The 'soon'.

"And soon…" Paul joined her in looking down the hallway.

She put her hand on top of his where they gripped the trolley's handle.

"I don't know." She said and they walked in silence back to the dance.


	19. Snakes aren't hockey fans

Percy was trying very hard to be both polite and understanding to Melinda's confusion, but some things just weren't possble when being chased by a giant snake.

"What's going on?!" Melinda squeaked as Percy yanked her roughly around the corner of the science wing.

"Um… unfriendly teacher?" He offered half-heartedly as they ducked into an open classroom. He pushed the shorter girl inside and slammed the door behind him, quickly twisting around behind a nearby bookshelf and forcefully shoving it in front of the door.

"I've never seen that teacher before!" She cried, her face pale and incredibly anxious. Percy's heart went out to her.

"Oh, ok look… ah, you know, I can't explain right now, but that teacher's not a teacher, and he's after me. Us really, but mainly me because you're unclaimed."

"Unclaimed?" She huffed in anoyance, glancing at the door nervously.

"Ok, would it be weird if I asked who you're parents are?" Percy said randomly, moving to look out the windows leading out to a small courtyard.

"Yes." She deadpanned. "But… my dad's a garbage man and I don't know my mom. She never stayed."

Another point towards the demigod theory, Percy thought.

"Yeah, my dad didn't stay either," Percy said a fraction softer and she seemed a bit less defensive at that admission.

Just then, something slammed into the classroom door with enough force to shake the bookshelf and send several books flying to the floor. Melinda screamed in alarm as Percy reached out and grabbed her hand again, pulling her to the window. He picked up a desk and launched it through the window to leave a gaping hole out to the courtyard as another slam came from the door.

"What the hell are you doing?!" She gasped at him. "You can't destroy-!"

"Break a window, eaten by a snake," He weighed his options breifly, "I think they'll forgive us!" Percy shot back, jumping up onto the windowsill and pulling her up.

"Us!?" Melinda cried, wrenching her hand away and taking a step back. "_**I**_ didn't smash a window, and NO, I'm not jumping! There's _no_ way-!"

"Melinda!" Percy yelled as the door shuddered under the wieght of the another blow, and the last of the books fell off. "We need to jump! Focus on your competative side, your _instincts_, just for the next ten minutes until we get out of here and I can explain!"

"You're crazy!" She shrieked, taking another step back.

"That's an argument for later!" He snapped. "Now jump! Unless you _want _to fight a giant snake unarmed?!"

"_What_ giant snake?!"

She looked at him like he was crazy and honestly considereing bolting, but then the door gave way and splintered, revealing the giant yellow and pink snake trying to wriggle its way through the bits of broken door. Melinda whipped around in shock, and whether it was the adrenaline clearing her vison, or something else, she obviously saw the snake for what it was for her eyes bugged out and she screamed a bloodcurling shriek.

She was the one to grab Percy's hand this time and leap through the gaping hole in the window, dragging him along hurriedly enough the make him scrape his leg on a jagged piece of glass sticking out at an odd angle. They hit the grass hard, rolling apart, and Percy only had enough time to roll onto his stomach in preparation to get up when two hands were on his shoulders, roughly pulling him to his feet.

"This way!" Melinda shouted, shoving him forward and he stumbled in shock, but wasn't complaining at the change of pace. At least she wasn't resiting anymore.

She ran to a fire escape ladder that went to the roof and was up in seconds, Percy right on her heels. The dashed aross the rooftop, praying hard that snakes didn't climb ladders.

They got to the edge of the roof and slid down a gutter, and no sooner had Percy's feet hit the concrete siewalk did they hear the snake again.

"THERE YOU ARE, DEMIGOD FILTH!"

"And they say _I_ have bad insults," Percy mumbled petulantly, turning to see the snake coming down the front steps of the school and quickly making its way over to them.

Melinda gasped and took off down the street in the opposite direction, and Percy followed, but jogging backwards a bit slower to keep his eyes on the snake. He slipped Riptide out of his pocket and uncapped it, waiting until he heard Melinda's footsteps get far enough away to come to a halt and slip into a fighting stance.

"Sssssea sssssscum…" The snake hissed, stopping just out of striking range of Percy's sword.

"Snake-thing." Percy acknowldeged with a brisk nod.

"Percy! What the hell are you doing?!" He heard Melinda shout from a good distance behind him.

"Improvising!" He called back without missing a beat.

"Hmmm… ssssssso niccccce of you to provide ssssssweet earth child for dessssert…" The snake smirked, lifting his head as he caught Melinda's scent on the wind.

"Earth child?" Percy said bluntly.

"Ha! Fish for dinner, ssssstrawberry flavored demigod for dessssert….!" The snake taunted, lurching forward and Percy pushed Melinda's parentage to the backburner in favor of concentrating on rolling out of the way of his over-sized fangs slashing out at him.

"Dude, breath mints." Percy teased as the snake hissed in irritation at his slippery prey. Percy leapt over its tail but failed to anticipate the snake thrashing backwards and getting a blow straight to the chest with the thick scaly appendage. He hit the ground flat on his back, but managed to roll backwards and get to his feet before the tail could pin him down.

The snake struck out and Percy dodged for a good few minutes, falling into a pattern neither could break. Percy was regretting not listening to Annabeth and brushing up on those stupid acrobatics the Stolls were always insiting came in handy, and the snake was getting angrier and angrier its prey didn't seem to be losing any stamina. The problem was that the snake— in true snake-like fashion— didn't really have bones and therefore could twist and move faster than Percy could strike so that he couldn't simply land a bow and vaporize the stupid monster, and Percy was built— in true demigod fashion— very sturdily with some good natural endurance, meaning no matter how many times the snake knocked him down, it wasn't nearly as hard to keep going as to, let's say, sit still through an hour long english class.

"Give up now! You will tire sssssssoon!" The snake snapped.

"Yeah… no. Not really. At least, not until you get angry enough to make a mistake you mice for brains." Percy snorted, ducking out of the way and making another attempt at landing a strike, in vain of course as the monster just twisted out from under him.

Just then, something caught his eye bahind the snake.

"Or…" He continued, grinning now, sending a volley of strikes out to force the snake to back up and twist away quickly, back towards the front steps of the school. "You learn to play hockey."

The snake cocked its head in confusion.

"Why would I learn such an idiotic game?"

"Don't knock it 'till you try it, you prada purse reject." Melinda growled, and the sound of a wooden hockey stick cracking over a skull echoed out across the street as the snake crumpled to the ground. Percy was there in an instant, spearing it through the back, and it vanished in a whisp of golden dust.

Melinda blanched at where the snake had once been. "Where did it go?" She gasped.

"Tartarus." Percy supplied easily, capping his sword with a satisfied grin. Melinda's eyes went even wider at the disappearing pen/sword, but said nothing.

"Are you going to explain this now?" She demanded, but a hundred times gentler now that the danger was gone. She sounded tired and lost rather than angry.

"Yes, everything, I promise, but… for now we should probably get going. We can't stay like this in the open when you're unarmed and aware; we'll attract more monsters."

"More…" She whispered, staring at the ground where the snake had been.

"It'll be ok," Percy reassured her, taking her hand again and giving it a squeeze for comfort. "Let's go, I'll explain what I can on the way. Say… how do you feel about horses?"


	20. Thank the gods she's dyslexic

"Mr. B, you'll be happy to know that I am a genius!" Marian told her teacher matter-of-factly as Paul pushed the trolley of water into the gymnasium, where the dance was still going in full swing. Sally had not said a word by his side, but he attributed it to worry for her son.

"Oh?" He said off handedly, still preoccupied with Percy's sudden disappearance.

"Yep!" The short blonde said happily, popping the 'p'. "When Mel and Percy grow up and get married, you have to thank me. And mind you, I'll be waiting for that call!"

That got Paul's full attention. Sally's too, from the way she stiffened next to him.

"Excuse me?" He said incredulously.

"We introduced them," Jasmine chimed in, appearing at her friend's side. "Thought they'd be good together." She shrugged with a grin.

"Yeah, and ten minutes later they're running out of the auditorium together," Marian hinted none-too-subtly with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

For all her willingness to let things be, her eternal patience, her divine understanding, Sally did not look like she was handling this news well. In fact, she looked about ready to faint.

"Girls," Paul said in his warning 'teacher' voice, and they seemed to realize they were talking to adults rather than their peers, plus Sally's reaction, and blushed a bit in chagrin and waved a polite, if not hasty, goodbye.

"Forget the monsters; I'm going to kill him…!" Sally muttered, starting to look angry—or, at least, her version of angry which was everyone else's 'put out'.

"Monsters?" Paul asked, but she gave him a look and he realized it wasn't the right time to ask. "Well… he's probably just… well, I really don't know, but he's a good kid, I'm sure—"

"Paul, I'm forever delighted that you are as accepting as you are and willing to take all this on with an open heart, but you have to understand: I worry about him every time he goes, and if he's lied to me to be with a _girl_… making me think he's off risking his life and really…"

But even as she said it, she seemed to deflate and her anger slipped away. Paul wrapped one arm around her waist in comfort.

"He wouldn't do that, would he?" She sighed in defeat.

"No, I think not. Monsters and disappearing… it's all interesting enough to give me a headache, but the one thing I do know is that Percy would never flat out lie to you like that. We both know it."

She glanced around the dance floor. "Who is this girl? Do you know her?"

"I think they were referencing Melinda Samuels. She's in one of my freshman classes, real sweet and nice, terribly shy and quiet, but I hear she's got a pretty violent competitive streak in sports." Sally didn't look overly pleased at her description, possibly only because she was off with her son at the moment, but she did look rather amused by that little conundrum.

"Huh, we might actually get along then." Sally admitted, and Paul gave her an understanding smile.

"She's very intelligent, but more so with street smarts and people. She has some pretty advanced ADHD and dyslexia… just like Percy, come to think of it. Perhaps you _would_ get along well." Paul joked, but stopped when he saw the wide eyes Sally was giving him. "What?" He asked warily.

"Any other students with ADHD and dyslexia?" She asked too-innocently.

Paul gave her a suspicious look. "Uh… no, not that I know of. Melinda was put into my class because I specialize and have training teaching dyslexic kids."

Sally just blinked a couple dozen times at him, then turned her head to look out at the dance floor, but Paul didn't miss the grin the spread across her face.

"Care to dance?" She asked abruptly.

Paul's eyebrows shot up. "Dance?" He squeaked. Truth be told, he wasn't a very good dancer. As in, an absolutely _terrible_ dancer. "Aren't we chaperoning?" He asked hurriedly, but in vain. She seemed to notice his reluctance.

"We can keep an eye on things and dance at the same time." She said gently.

"Well, _I'll_ be looking at my feet…" Paul grumbled as Sally took his hand. She laughed at his discomfort and pulled him to the dance floor.

"You're going to have to learn to dance _someday_… why not today?" She asked happily.

"Why would I have to learn how to dance?" Paul asked suspiciously.

She just smiled a wide, knowing smile.

"Come on, I'll teach you the steps…"


	21. Please don't call the Pegasus a Horse

**Hello internet, **

**Hope you all are well, thank you everyone for all the lovely reviews, I enjoy them immensely. Every time I get an email update I'm thinking "**_**Crap, forget homework, I gotta work on my chapters…"**_

**Yeah, so I blame you all for my tanking grades. **

**Nah, just kidding. Love you guys. **

**Except the creepy stalker guy reading this, because honestly, statistically speaking ONE of you is that guy. **

**No offense to all the nice people reading this. **

**Yeah, ignore me, I'm lonely. **

**Shut up to the guy who just scoffed and called me a loser. **

**That's right, I see you. **

**The POINT of this is to say thank you to ****AceOfSpades053001 who kindly pointed out my spelling mistakes, and NO I'm NOT being sarcastic… I REALLY hate spelling mistakes, they drive me crazy. Also, to say that yes, I plan on bringing Thalia back because I love writing her and Percy's interactions, but I probably won't do it until Nico's in the mix… for those of you who've read my other story "Back in Greece", you know how that will turn out. The sibling thing going on in that trio is one of my favorite relationships to depict (which isn't coincidentally why I'm also obsessed with Asilda's "The Death God Alliance" b/c she portrays the BEST Nico/Percy (non-slash) relationship EVER).**

**Wow, that was rather long for someone who hates it when authors make A/Ns. **

**Anyway, enjoy!**

_In central Park at night…_

"I know I just cracked my favorite hockey stick over a giant, talking, tropical-bird colored snake and it vanished into sparkly dust along with your magic sword-pen-thingy, but do you _honestly expect_ me to believe that horse is _talking_ to you?" Melinda demanded, pointing in annoyance at Blackjack as she glared at Percy.

"Yes." He said simply. "And you forgot about the 'learning that the gods' are real' part." He reminded her.

She rolled her eyes and brushed him off. "Yeah, I'm not buying that part just yet."

He threw up his hands in exasperation. "You _killed and giant snake, _and SAW Blackjack _fly_ here, and you _still_ won't buy it?!"

"No." She huffed, crossing her arms across her chest.

"What happened to you being shy and passive?" Percy grumbled.

Melinda's eyes flashed. "Well, _this_ is me being _aggressive_. Tends to happen after being chased by a piñata-colored snake!" She snapped. She looked like she wanted to whack Percy over the head with her hockey stick too, and he took a step back in defeat.

_I like her._ Blackjack said unhelpfully.

"No one asked you," Percy muttered petulantly.

"_What!?_

"Not you!" He backtracked quickly as Melinda glared at him again.

_She smells like strawberries. _Blackjack said happily, again, very unhelpfully.

"The snake said that too." Percy realized, forgetting that Melinda was yelling at him.

"_What_ are you doing?!"

"Sorry! Not you! The Pegasus said you smell like strawberries!"

That brought her up short. "He said _what?!_ And WHY am I still listening to you?" She sighed heavily to herself.

_Boss, if you two are done flirting, I smell monster coming this way fast… _Blackjack warned.

"Ok, we should get- wait, _what!? _ We are NOT flirting!"

"WHAT!?"

_But that's what you and the blonde girl do, don't chya? _

"Blonde girl? Who, Annabeth? No, we _do not -"_

_Monster incoming! _

Blackjack whipped his head towards the trees and lurched forward. Percy automatically caught his sleek black neck and flung himself around onto the Pegasus's back. The horse flapped his wings sharply, taking off, and Percy leaned over and caught Melinda by the arm, dragging her up behind him. By the time she'd landed even halfway on the horse's back, they were fifty feet in the air, and she had no choice but to climb all the way up and hang on for dear life.

"I consider this kidnapping…" She grumbled, and Percy rolled his eyes but said nothing as he scanned the ground below them. He spotted a shadow moving beneath some nearby trees, but it disappeared quickly, probably giving up now that its prey was hopelessly out of its reach.

_Boss, you need to lay off the doughnuts, I seriously can't carry the two of you for long…_ Blackjack complained.

Percy bristled, "I take offense to that, but sure, just drop us off on thirty fourth, we can call a cab."

_Cabs get totaled when they go to camp._ Blackjack pointed out.

"Well… we'll write them an apology letter, but we need to get to Camp."

"You still talking to that horse?" Melinda interrupted.

_She needs to stop calling me a horse…_ Blackjack huffed.

"Yes, I'm talking to this _Pegasus_, and his name is Blackjack." Percy said pointedly.

He could practically feel her rolling her eyes behind him. "Oh, _my bad, _nice to meet you _Blackjack, _ the talking Pegasus!"

Blackjack did a barrel-roll mid-air, flipping backwards and completing a complicated and scary-as-Hades flight pattern quickly. Melinda screamed and she clung to Percy in a death grip.

_Nice to meet you too, Miss. Sarcastic Strawberry girl._ Blackjack said brightly, clearly pleased with himself.

"He says hi," Percy translated, a bit breathless as Melinda crushed his chest with her iron-clad grip.

"GET ME DOWN!" She screamed in terror.

_Say please!_ Blackjack teased.

"Please, then!" Percy sighed. "I think she's crushing me!"

_Not you! Her!_

"You're being childish, ya know?" Percy mumbled, then louder: "Hey, Melinda, say please and he'll let us down."

"WHAT?! THE HORSE CAN'T UNDERSTAND US YOU LUNATIC!"

_Boss, this girl's kinda crazy…_

"Well, you did just scare the Hades out of her, what did you expect?" Percy huffed. "Please, Mel? Just humor me…"

"Fine! Whatever! _Please_ let me down Blackjack the Pegasus!" She cried.

_See? Was that so hard?_ Blackjack fluttered in satisfaction, immediately swooping down to a nearby street.

"Speak for yourself," Percy grumbled, trying to release Melinda's death-grip on him and get some of his circulation back.

"W-we're actually descending…" Melinda marveled.

_I'm not EVIL you know…_ the Pegasus huffed, and Percy heard the implied eye roll.

"Now I'm going to disagree with you there." Percy said, flicking the horse's ear, who threw his head back in disgruntlement at the action.

"Y-y-you're actually….y-you…"

"Yes, I really can talk to horses." Percy explained patiently. "Like I said, the gods are real. My dad is Poseidon, god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses, so it comes with the family territory. Since all the magical creatures we've met say you smell like strawberries, I'm gonna bet your mom is Demeter, goddess of grain and cereal and all that stuff."

She was quiet behind him, for a moment as Blackjack touched down on the sidewalk. Percy slipped out of her grip and landed on the ground, turning back to help her down. She was staring at the Pegasus under her like she was seeing it for the first time.

"S-so… it's all… and my mom…"

"Most likely Demeter. My best guess, but there's no way to be sure until she claims you, _which_ will probably happen if we can get to this camp I was telling you about. Demeter's usually pretty good at claiming her kids."

She blinked once in thought.

"Demeter?" She said again.

Percy sighed, "Probably. We can go find out if you want." He said gently, offering her a hand.

She stared at it warily for a minute before finally taking it and sliding off the Pegasus.

_Catch ya around, Boss!_ Blackjack said. _Good luck with the crazy!_

Percy sighed wearily.

"Thank… Blackjack…" He said weakly.

Melinda stared at him, as Blackjack took off into the sky, as if coming to a decision.

"And we go to this camp now, for demigods or whatever, and they teach us to fight the monsters and snakes without hockey sticks?" She asked.

Percy nodded, happy to be making some progress. "With swords or knives or axes… pretty much whatever you want." He agreed.

"And…_Demeter_ could be my mother." She reaffirmed slowly.

He shrugged. "It's my best guess, though I'm not known for my brains, so my guess might be a bit off-kilter."

She thought about it for a minute.

"Demeter… goddess of, wheat and farming…"

"And cereal, so I'm told." Percy smiled, remembering Nico's rants about his grandmother and her not-so-little obsession.

Melinda frowned. "I hate cereal." She shuddered.

Percy blinked.

"Huh."


	22. Want S'more?

"Huh."

"That's what _I_ said!" Percy exclaimed.

"Well, this is certainly a first." Chiron noted calmly at Melinda, who was staring with wide eyes at the glowing cornucopia above her head.

"But…" Melinda seemed at a loss of words as she stared in shock at the magical symbol, already fading in the night air.

"You're our sister! Well, half-sister anyway." Katie Gardener chirped happily, taking Melinda by the arm and pulling her over to the rest of the Demeter children where they sat around the campfire. It glowed a happy yellow at the arrival and claiming of the new demigod, even though the attendance to the nightly fire was somewhat scarce, only the year-rounders currently sitting around it in honor of a new arrival.

"I don't get it, why is this a first?" Travis asked. After all, there was nothing new about a child of Demeter: they weren't exactly the scarcest of demigods to find.

"I _hate_ cereal." Melinda frowned, and her new siblings all froze and gave her wide-eyed looks.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Huh." Connor huffed softly.

"_Exactly_!" Percy exclaimed again.

"It had to happen sometime." Travis shrugged.

"What had to happen?" Melinda asked in confusion.

"A daughter of Demeter to be born that _didn't_ like cereal." Connor supplied. "Chiron's like, thousands of years old and even _he_ admits it's a first."

Chiron shrugged.

Melinda frowned again. "Well… sorry?" She looked at her siblings for answers, but they were still frozen in shock.

"Um… it's… ok….?" Katie said, sounding equally uncertain.

"I told you Demeter was obsessed with cereal." Percy said, earning himself a few smirks and an equal amount of dirty looks from the grain goddess's children.

"This is… all real?" Melinda blinked, almost hopefully, and everyone smiled in amusement at her shock.

"Definitely! Though, you might not be wishing that for long," Connor told her cheerfully. "But don't worry, you'll do fine once you get some training." He assured her.

"Oh, I know she'll be fine. She killed a giant snake with her hockey stick," Percy told them, and everyone tittered in curiosity and excitement as they did when talking about fights.

Melinda blushed heavily, her shyness coming back a bit now that she'd calmed down from her adrenaline high, but with encouragement from Percy and others, managed to tell the story of what had happened.

"And you were at this dance?" Katie smirked at Percy, who rolled his eyes. Melinda continued to talk while the two sat off by themselves.

"My mom's boyfriend was a teacher there," He explained. "Somehow mom 'convinced' me into go to keep Paul company while he chaperoned. I might go to that school next year anyway—that is, if they let me in after throwing a desk through that window tonight." He added as an afterthought.

"Does he know about you and all this?" She asked, gesturing broadly to the campfire with all the demigods, centaur, satyrs, and nymphs clustered around.

Percy bit his lip. "Not yet. He knows something, but he hasn't been pushing. It's not like he _couldn't_ notice, what with me disappearing all the time." He frowned, his thoughts suddenly sidetracked to the recent trouble he'd been having with monsters and… things.

Katie seemed to sense this and let it drop.

"Well, thanks for a new sister anyway, it was nice of you to make the trip instead of calling a satyr." She said kindly. "Tell me you're not going to try and come up with an excuse for your absence yourself? Annabeth says you're not really that good at it," She teased and Percy sighed.

"As much as I want to deny that, I really let my mom make up the excuses," He grinned and she giggled.

Despite its off-beat start and the unforeseen troubles that seemed to pop up left and right, the night ended on a rather high note. A few Apollo kids commandeered the conversation and led them in an old war time song that had Percy worrying and comforted at the same time. The fire was warm in the semi-chilly air (because Camp was never _cold_ to say, but it _was_ still early spring) and it glowed happy colors as the remaining campers sang together. In honor of the new recruit, the Stoll brothers slipped away and returned with a big bag of marshmallows and chocolate, claiming they couldn't find and graham crackers, but everyone suspected they only said that as an excuse to use two chocolate pieces to sandwich as gooey marshmallow. Melinda was overjoyed at that, claiming she never used graham crackers anyway.

Percy laughed and enjoyed the treats and the company of family. Even if they weren't really family, _technically_ they were, and Percy let everything slip away as he sat, grinning with friends.

But soon, the night ended when everyone realized how late it was. He decided to stay the night, seeing as tomorrow was Saturday anyway, and he could IM his mom when he got back to cabin three.

"You should stay tomorrow as well," Chiron told him. "Give Melinda some basics in sword training. I assume she'll want to return home as soon as possible, and you are our most skilled swordsman currently here."

"Will do," Percy agreed, smiling at Melinda as she looked over upon hearing her name.

"What am I doing tomorrow?" She asked as everyone started to drift to their own cabins.

"Some sword training, if you're up to it. You need to be able to hold your own against another monster if you're going back to school soon." He explained as they made their way to the cabins, trailing behind the Demeter kids. His cabin was after theirs, so he thought he'd walk with her.

"And… and you just do this all the time? Attend school, fight monsters…? How do you manage all that?" She wondered aloud.

"Not very successfully, I guess." He said honestly. "I've been kicked out of too many schools to count. Monsters tend to make messes, and then I'm blamed. You seem capable though, I'm sure you'll figure it out. Plus, children of Demeter don't attract _too_ many monsters regularly, though if you're in the same school as me, you'll probably need a bit more training…" He mused to himself.

"I don't attract monsters, but you do?" She clarified.

"My dad is Poseidon, as mentioned before, and he's one of the Big Three along with Zeus and Hades. Kids of the Big Three attract a _lot_ of monsters for some reason." He sighed.

She thought that over in silence for a minute.

"And, Mr. B doesn't know any of this, does he?" She finally said.

Percy sighed. "No." He confirmed. "Though, I'm starting to think maybe he should…" He considered.

"Yes, you _definitely_ should." Melinda said with surprising conviction.

Percy looked at her curiously. "You seem certain about that; any particular reason?"

She shrugged. "Mr. B is one of the best teachers I've ever had: he's really good with the Dyslexia and ADHD and is just one of those people you tell things too because you know they won't judge you for it. Forget teacher, he's a cool guy. I've been in his classes for most of the year now, and I think, of all the people in the world you could tell, Mr. B is one of the best." She declared.

Percy blinked at her in surprise.

"And here I thought I'd be teaching you things," He smiled, and she returned it.

"Oh, don't worry, I've got a feeling there's a lot I'm going to be needing help on in the coming weeks." She smiled tiredly.

"Aw, don't worry, we've got your back, babe." Connor Stoll grinned, appearing with his brother on either side of her and putting an arm around her shoulders.

"We'll show you the ropes when Percy here's off in the real world," Travis chimed in.

"Don't listen to a word they say, they'll direct you off a cliff as soon as help you." Percy warned with a mocking glare at the brothers, who looked jokingly affronted.

Melinda giggled, taking the extra s'more Conner offered her with a slight blush at the son of Hermes' broad grin.

"Hey! I thought that was mine!" Travis complained. Connor didn't even look at his brother, just reached behind Melinda and shoved the taller boy backwards to shut him up, still grinning happily at the dark haired girl blushing shyly up at him.

Percy may not have been very observant, but then again, Connor wasn't being very subtle.

The son of Poseidon waved goodnight and slipped away, but he was fairly certain only Travis saw him.

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**Hello internet!**

**You know, I'm an idiot. **

**I put a Nico reference in the last chapter, and in this story, Percy hasn't made up with Nico yet so… ignore that.**

**Ignore me, I'm a moron. **

**Thanks!**


	23. As the mountain falls

Paul watches, but he can't seem to make himself believe.

Mt. St. Helens crumbles apart before his very eyes on the TV, and Sally is shaking like a leaf wrapped up in his arms.

"I don't understand." He breathed.

Sally quickly wiped a tear that had escaped her control and took a deep breath.

"It's ok… it will be ok…." She chanted, more like a mantra to herself than really talking to him.

"Who was that on the phone?" Paul asked as gently as he could. The phone had rung, and Sally had answered, and the next minute she was sobbing uncontrollably on her knees. It'd taken Paul half an hour to get her to the couch and calmed down just slightly enough to form words again.

He was terrified. He had no clue what was going on, and Sally—his rock, his foundation—seemed to be crumbling apart in his arms just like the mountain on the TV. He still didn't know why she insisted keeping the news on 24/7: there was nothing but bad news about the destruction of the eruption. He wanted to turn it off, to block out this horrible news broadcast that'd been blaring into this small apartment for the past week and a half, but the last time he'd tried Sally had done her version of "yelling" and told him she wanted to know everything that happened with it as soon as it happened, but hadn't explained why.

Surely, now that she was so upset already, she didn't need any more of this grief?

"Percy…" She choked out, catching Paul's attention again.

His stomach felt like it'd been flooded with freezing water, his heart plummeting into the cold pool and splashing his lungs with shards of ice.

Percy had disappeared again, but not before getting Paul's school convinced he'd burned down the music room. Paul was currently fighting tooth and nail with them, _swearing_ up and down the street that Percy couldn't have done it, but he was getting nowhere and his own reputation was starting to suffer for it.

It would have been easier if Percy had actually been _around_ to face the music, but he wasn't. Paul would stand by him, sure that once the boy returned they'd get everything sorted out.

But Sally's tears spoke more than her broken words did.

"He's…?" He couldn't finish, couldn't bear to bring the dreaded words to life.

"Missing…" Sally gasped, glancing back at the crumbling mountain. Paul marveled yet again how something so massive, so _permanent_, could simply waste away into nothing so easily before their very eyes. "N-not just f-from us… f-from everyone… th-they th-think…. Th-they…"

Paul wondered vaguely who "they" were, but he ignored it. "Shh, it's ok…" He muttered, hugging her a bit tighter as she buried her face in his chest. He could feel the silent tears soaking through his shirt, but it only made him more worried.

"N-n-no… i-it's…." She pulled back and looked up at him with wide, water eyes. He'd never seen her so devastated. "Oh gods, _Paul…_ th-they're holding a funeral in t-two d-d-days." She managed to get out quickly before breaking down again in silent sobs.

Paul was horrified.

_No…_ his thoughts seemed to echo sharply around his brain like a ball ricocheting off the walls of a cavernous metal room. He felt numb wrapping his arms around Sally even tighter still, but holding not only her, but himself together now too.

"He's gone and they think he's dead?" He gasped, trying to wrap his brain around it.

Percy…

It was only yesterday he was right there, watching a movie on the same couch with them, making silly comments and snickering along with his mother at the cheesy lines. Only yesterday, or so it seemed.

Yes he disappeared, but he _always_ came back. Without fail, he'd come back acting as if nothing happened, and Paul was ok not to ask where he'd been just so long as he was _back_ and unharmed. It didn't matter that Paul couldn't know where Percy went all the time, just so long as it never put him in _danger_…!

He pictured the bright sea green eyes and shaggy black hair on the young man he'd grown to care about over the past months. He pictured the broad smile and silly/strange mannerisms he loved, the long conversations about Greek Mythology, the tutoring sessions to get the dyslexic boy caught up in English.

He was Percy, he was such a huge part of Paul's life now, and he couldn't just be _gone, _just like that_. _

Sally was shaking more violently, but he felt her nod to his question.

"Th-they're wrong." Paul declared uncertainly. "Th-they… they couldn't possibly… it's only been a little over a week, what could he have _possibly_ have been doing that…. That they'd…"

Sally wrapped her arms tighter around his neck.

"I don't… I _can't_ believe th-this could… no…." She mumbled. "No, he's n-not… no…"

"He'll be back." Paul finished for her, nodding in determination despite how wide his terrified eyes were as he watched the mountain fall apart.

She let out a broken sob.

"I… I always… I always knew this day… would come…." She cried.

"No…!" Paul moaned under his breath. "No! You may be set to believe he's… to think he's….! But no, he _will _come back! He has to!" He cried a bit helplessly.

Sally pulled back and looked up into his eyes again, her own eyes bright red and letting tears fall freely in little rivers. She looked with such sadness, such _pity_, like she knew something he didn't.

Then again, that was always the way it was when it came to this mother-son relationship. Paul just didn't know, and didn't understand.

_NO!_ He shouted in his head. _Not this time!_

"Hey… listen to me." Paul said firmly, cupping Sally's cheek in his palm and catching her full attention. "_You're_ the one always telling me to have this blind faith in you and Percy, and I have. I've accepted it, I've accepted there a things I can't know, but I got to have you two in my life, so for the life of me I could never complain. But you gave me that faith, and then give up on him."

She blinked in shock, eyes widening.

"He _will_ come back." Paul said in determination, trying to sound more confident, trying to _feel_ more confident for her sake. "I have faith he will, do you?" He demanded.

Sally looked stunned.

She turned her watery gaze back to the TV. He glanced at it too, just in time to see a large section of the mountain slide away and deteriorate down into dust and get caught it a huge gust of wind, sending the dust cloud arching into the vast blue sky.

She nodded, unable to speak.

Paul wrapped one arm around her shoulders and took her hand in his free one, holding her tightly.

She leaned into him, tears still falling silently as they watched the mountain fall.


	24. Tired

_It's December first, and Paul took a sip of steaming hot chocolate from a Styrofoam cup, shifting his bag a little higher on his shoulder so he could balance his textbook and the hot drink as he walked down the semi-crowded New York sidewalk towards a writing seminar being taught at an open lecture hall. The gray sky was oddly bright for the late evening, the air crisp and chilly, but not too cold. Still, it was cold enough to make him relish the warmth the hot chocolate gave. _

_He liked it just a bit less when he bumped into someone and felt the steaming liquid sink into his jacket. _

"_Ouch!" He jumped, dropping his book instinctively and lifting his shirt away to keep from scalding himself until it cooled some in the nippy air. _

"_Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" The woman he'd bumped into started to fret, hovering helplessly before him. "Oh, I wasn't even looking where I was going, I'm sorry! Oh…" She worried watching him try to wipe it off with his gloves, but it was a losing battle. She pulled a napkin from her purse and offered it to him, and he took it with a glancing smile, trying to fix the mess quickly. _

"_Oh, no worries," He assured her with a heavy sigh. Now he'd have to sit through this seminar wet and cold- not to mention sticky. _

_Still, he didn't blame her; he hadn't been watching where he was going either. _

_He gave up on his jacket and smiled up at her to assure her it was ok, but froze. _

_She had long, slightly curly brown hair pulled back in a loose bun at the nape of her neck, and even blue eyes, currently creased in worry. She had laugh lines and a tired look about her, but as she smiled back a bit guiltily for knocking into him, she had a peaceful, kind air around her. _

"_I'm Paul," He blurted out, forgetting his jacket and offering her a hand. _

_She smiled a bit warmer, seeing he truly wasn't upset, and took it happily. "I'm Sally." She said with a relieved sigh, and he couldn't help but grin at her. "Are you going to Dr. Richard's seminar as well?" She asked curiously, stooping down and picking up the textbook Paul had completely forgot he'd dropped. _

"_What? Oh, uh, yes…" He said, taking the book back with a grateful smile, and he noticed with a jolt of pleasure that she had the same textbook under her own arm. "Excellent! Would you, ah, like to walk with me?" He asked brightly, and she looked a bit confused but nodded. _

"_So," He said conversationally as they made their way down the sidewalk again, their destination only two or three blocks away at this point. "What brings you to a seminar on existentialist writing?" He asked. _

_She shrugged noncommittally. "Curiosity mostly," She admitted. "I want to start writing some of my own books and I thought getting some background in the different writing styles would be beneficial." _

"_You're a writer?" He asked, oddly happy about that for some reason. _

"_Oh, uh, not really… I mean, I want to be a writer, hence the classes, but… I'm really a writer in training I guess." She blushed a bit, but he just smiled. _

"_Good on you," He praised and she blushed again. "So, if writing isn't your day job, what is then?" _

"_I work at a Candy Store in grand central station," She said, with a slight frown, but she shook it off quickly. "What do you do then?" She changed the subject. _

"_I'm and English teacher at Goode High School, specializing in teaching special needs kids with dyslexia." He said (not boasting… ok, maybe just a little) and he grinned in pride as her eyes lit up. _

"_Really?" She said, sounding honestly fascinated with that. _

"_Yep." He said proudly. He honestly did love the fact he could help the kids so many other teachers seemed to discredit, and he told her as much. _

"_That's wonderful," She approved, seeming to truly mean it too. "My son has dyslexia and ADHD, which isn't a great combination… I know how rare understanding teachers can be to come by." _

"_Your son?" Paul blurted out before he could stop himself. _

_She nodded happily, her eyes sparkling as she spoke of her son, seeming to either not notice or ignore his surprise. "He's a good boy… it's been just him and I for well over a year now, and he does so much for me, but he has never found a school willing to take him in for his, ah, abilities." _

_For some reason that statement relaxed Paul significantly. _

_He also didn't miss that she said "abilities" rather than "disabilities". _

"_I know the teachers you mean… unfortunately I see them everywhere." He sighed, and she smiled warmly at him. They arrived at the lecture hall and Paul lurched forward to grab the door for her, and they quickly found their seats near the back as a man on stage started setting up a projector, a few dozen others getting comfortable in the audience seats. _

"_So, ah…" Paul said, clearing his throat nervously and feeling himself blush. "Do you think, that ah… maybe after the lecture you would like to get some coffee?" _

_She blinked a bit in surprise for a moment but then smiled a little with a light blush coloring her cheeks. "Yes, I think I'd like that very much." She agreed, slipping out her journal to take notes, and he copied her actions. _

_Paul barely even heard Dr. Richards start talking to preoccupied with planning on where to go for coffee and what to talk about, too preoccupied with glancing to his left every time Sally went to brush a stray lock of hair from her face, too preoccupied with savoring the sound of her laugh as she giggled at Dr. Richards lame attempts at making the lecture interesting…_

…

Paul sat up abruptly, shaking sleep from his eyes.

He looked around blearily, confused in the early morning light.

He gathered in his surroundings and realized he was on Sally's living room couch. A second later he remembered drifting off during the movie they'd been watching the night before. He glanced to his left where Sally had been sitting not only last night during the movie, but in the lecture hall in his dream as well, but found her spot empty.

He rubbed his eyes sleepily, unable to stop the small, content smile on his lips despite the early hour. He really loved that dream, despite how simple and unimaginative it was. Reliving one of the greatest nights of his life never got old.

There came a sharp sound of something clinking together in the kitchen, and he realized that must have been what woke him up.

He stretched and slowly got up, shuffling along to the kitchen door. "Sally?" He called softly in the early morning quiet and he heard her jump a bit.

"Good morning," She whispered back to him, a warm but very tired smile on her lips as she pecked him on the cheek and pushed him towards the kitchen table. "Sorry if I woke you." She apologized, moving back to the counter where the beginnings of pancakes were being assembled.

"Oh, not you, I just couldn't sleep," He shrugged, though that wasn't entirely true.

"Neither could I." She sighed, and unlike him, Paul could see how very true that was in her stressed frown as she mixed the pancake ingredients together. "Which makes no sense at all," She complained to herself. "I should be elated and sleeping like a baby now that he's home, but _no…"_ She grumbled to herself and Paul couldn't help but smile at her self-scolding.

"It's a lot to take in," Paul argued for her against herself, which only made him smile a bit more. "We both went through an ordeal in thinking he wasn't coming back; things aren't just going to go back to normal just like that." He reasoned.

_Percy needs time._ He added as an afterthought to himself.

Percy had come back, but he'd come back… different.

He looked tired, and aged, and completely broken. Paul vaguely remembered Percy have that air about him around the time they first met, but it wasn't as bad then, or maybe Percy had just been getting over it… whatever 'it' was.

Because all Paul knew was that Percy had not had an easy go of the past few weeks while he was missing. He looked thinner and his gray hair more pronounced as if he hadn't actually dyed it (as Paul had originally assumed) but it was actual gray hair from stress on the young teenager. He had dark circles under his eyes and a haunted look to him that Paul only ever saw on war veteran when they talked about the most horrible of their battle stories.

But most of all, he just seemed tired.

He slept a lot, which was ok seeing as it was now summer, but even when he was awake he didn't seem to really _be_ there.

Paul had heard him and Sally talking a few days ago, and he gathered that some of his friends had died wherever he was.

Paul immediately tuned them out, feeling like that was a conversation he shouldn't hear, and also that he didn't _want_ to hear. He cared about Percy: Paul didn't like the idea that the boy was going somewhere that there was an actual chance he'd never return, a place where kids Percy's age routinely _didn't_ return, as was evidenced by Percy's obvious mourning of their deaths.

Paul's grandfather—who he hadn't known very well to begin with— had died when he was a teen, but other than that he'd never known anyone to die on him, and for that he was forever grateful. He felt nothing but pity and admiration when he looked at Percy, who was so young and shouldering not just one, but apparently many deaths of close friends and continuing on as he needed to. Paul most certainly would not be as composed.

Still, nearly two weeks after his return, lots of sleep, and three very large meals a day thanks to Sally's overprotective-mothering, Percy had started to look like his old self, and the color had started to return to his cheeks, the brightness slowly coming back into his vibrant eyes. He started to laugh again, the worry never disappearing but seeming to become more bearable on his shoulders, and a sort of acceptance of the troubles weighing him down beginning to show on his face.

Sally had insisted they spend every moment they could together, the three of them, and Percy seemed to be enjoying the company and letting their time distract him some.

Paul was thankful for this, but it seemed to be going too slow for Sally, who only wanted to see her son happy again.

"He wants to go to his summer camp." Sally said tensely, breaking Paul from his thoughts.

"He always does, doesn't he?" Paul said cautiously. Sally had always approved of Percy going to camp, claiming it was "safe", and the sudden change confused him.

She mixed the batter together slightly rougher than was strictly necessary for a minute, before heaving a defeated sigh and turning back to him.

"Yes," She admitted. "But he's so stressed still…. I don't know…"

"We've done everything we could to help him," Paul comforted her, standing and pulling her into a hug that she gratefully accepted. "Maybe we should let his friends have a go at it. June isn't even over yet, he'll have a solid two months enjoying himself at camp and then be back for his birthday in no time, right?" He reasoned, and she tensed for a moment before sighing again and letting her stress melt away.

"And we're having a party whether he likes it or not." He heard her grumble under her breathe.

"It will be ok, you'll see." He agreed, pulling her chin up and catching her eye. She sighed yet again and gave a weak smile.

"Alright." She agreed in defeat, leaning up and kissing him softly before turning back to the pancakes. He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned his head on her shoulder as he watched her work, and she didn't seem to mind.

He knew exactly who these pancakes were for as he watched her pour a generous helping of blue dye in the white mix, followed by a handful of blue chocolate chips. He vaguely wondered where she got the supplies for this from, because literally _everything_ she made—even the things he was fairly certain didn't react well to food coloring—was always blue.

Still, it wouldn't be her cooking if it _wasn't_ blue.

"What do you say we go sailing today, if he's leaving tomorrow then?" Sally said suddenly, breaking his train of thoughts.

Paul flashed back to the thrilling boat ride and the look of pure happiness on Percy's face as they raced out to see.

"I think you're a genius." He grinned, kissing her on the cheek. She laughed and kissed him back, then began talking animatedly about what they needed to get to prepare, looking happier than he'd seen her all week.


	25. Of Diamonds and Cake

**(Italics are excerpt from Battle of the Labyrinth) **

_"Okay. I'm listening."_

_Nico glanced inside my room. His eyebrows furrowed. "Is that…is that blue birthday cake?"_

_He sounded hungry, maybe a little wistful. I wondered if the poor kid had ever had a birthday party, or if he'd ever even been invited to one._

_"Come inside for some cake and ice cream," I said. "It sounds like we've got a lot to talk about."_

"Uh…" Nico looked terrified at the idea, and a bit awkward, but Percy just smiled and patted his back before pulling him inside. He stumbled a little bit at the action, but Percy held him upright.

"Does you're sword do camouflage? My mom's boyfriend's here, and he's not exactly 'in the know' with the gods and stuff. In fact, my dad was just here and that was pretty awkward…" Percy mumbled about the visit with Poseidon and Nico's eyes went wide.

"Your dad is strange." Nico blurted out, and Percy smiled at bit at the amused smirk on the smaller boy's face at the mental picture of Paul and Poseidon shaking hands. Nico drew out his stygian iron sword and whipped it back, and it suddenly became a black switchblade that he slid into his jacket pocket.

Percy beamed, "Yes, he is a bit strange. Terrible timing too," He quickly told him about Paul asking to marry his mom and Nico actually laughed, but it was kind of cold and tired sounding, not like it had once been before… before everything.

"I don't think that was entirely unplanned," He smirked.

"Yeah, neither do I." Percy agreed with a sigh. He turned and grabbed the plate of cake and put it in Nico's hands, and the younger boy stared at it for a moment, like he was unsure what to do with it. "Come on," Percy smiled a bit sadly, wrapping one arm around his shoulders and pulling him to the door, "I think Tyson's beating them to a pulp in Monopoly; we should go in and save them."

Nico looked at the door warily and Percy just sighed again. "Oh, and heads up, my mom's gonna go all mother-bear on you, just so you're prepared. I'll try and slow her down, but, chances are it won't do much."

Now Nico looked absolutely terrified and it suddenly got a _lot_ harder to pull him along, but luckily Percy was still a head or two taller than him and managed to overpower and push the younger boy the rest of the way. Percy wondered in the back of his mind why a kid content to camp on the banks of the Styx and talk to ghosts and dead things as he wandered around a maze known for driving people insane was abruptly petrified about meeting Sally Jackson—aka, the LEAST threatening thing Nico had probably come across all year.

He pushed it out of his thoughts, deciding that Nico had been through worse than meeting his mother (yeah, _a lot_ worse) and the kid could use some family time now whether he wanted it or not.

(Gods he sounded like his mother…)

Percy quickly shook _that_ thought off too.

"Hey guys! Look who I found!"

0000000000000

The first time Paul saw Nico di Angelo was obviously the same moment Sally met him too. He was instantly worried about the small boy's sickly, ragged appearance, but that was nothing compared to how worried Sally was.

"This is my cousin, Nico." Percy smiled warmly, pushing an absolutely terrified looking ten-year-old into the room, dressed head to toe in black and clutching a plate of blue birthday cake for dear life. The smaller boy seemed to blanch and being introduced as Percy's cousin and positively jumped out of his skin as Sally was suddenly beside him and wrapped him in a big hug. He almost dropped the cake—or threw it, seeing as that seemed to be his first reaction—but fortunately Percy seemed to anticipate this and lifted it from his hands a second before he could do anything.

"Hello honey, I'm so glad to meet you," She cooed pulling back, her eyes immediately looking at his dark, shaggy hair the same way she did right before giving Percy a haircut whether he went along with it willingly or not.

"Uh," Nico slipped from her grip and jumped back a little, out of her range, stuttering. "N-nice to meet you to, M-miss. Jackson."

Sally frowned petulantly. "Please, call me Sally." She assured him and he edged closer to Percy, away from the woman.

"Way to overwhelm him, Mom." Percy rolled his eyes, and Sally looked put out, but still greatly worried about Nico, who was now half-hiding behind his older cousin.

"I win!" Tyson announced with a great cheer, and Paul looked back down at the board to see that he had indeed taken over. Paul simply could not believe how good the cheery, rather simple boy was a completely obliterating them all at the game. If Paul remembered correctly, Monopoly took quite some time to play through, but Tyson had clearly won in less than half an hour.

"Well, that decides it: if I ever need to invest something, I'm coming to you for advice." Paul said in mock-seriousness to Tyson, whose eyes went wide and he nodded seriously in obvious pleasure at the idea. Paul bit back a laugh while Percy and Sally fought off smiles as well.

"Oh, come on," Percy sighed, putting one arm around Nico—who was still half-hiding behind him—and pulled him down to the couch, between him and Sally, placing the cake back into his hands. The young boy stared at the cake for a minute, but seemed to overwhelmed and confused to do anything with it.

Percy sighed heavily while Sally looked like it was killing her not to hug him again, and Paul thought he'd save them from the awkward silence.

"I'm Paul, by the way." He introduced himself, offering the young boy his hand.

A piercing stare snapped to meet his gaze and Paul blinked a little in shock at its intensity. He had wide, coal-black eyes set into skin that probably once looked tan, but had faded from lack of exposure to sun until it had turned slightly gray, deathly white pallor. He had dark purple circles beneath his eyes, and a heavy, frightened animal kind of aura about him, that had Paul wanting to back away slowly, and yet wrap him in a hug at the same time.

He was obviously young, but so skinny and shabby, like he'd been living on the streets, Paul instantly wanted to protect him. Yet, his fight or flight instincts were also telling him to get away, sensing danger… and yet protect him too… oh, it was confusing.

"Nico." The boy said bluntly, hesitating but then reaching out and shaking his hand.

It took everything Paul had not to flinch or jump as the boy's ice-cold skin made contact with his, making it feel as if he'd just dunked his bare arm in a tub of ice cubes. Paul forced himself to smile back warmly, so as not to scare the boy into thinking he didn't like him, and sat back. He placed his hand back on his leg, again forcing himself not to shake it out or rub it against the other for warmth. It felt odd, like it'd suddenly fallen asleep.

He glanced at Percy and Sally, both of whom were sitting close to him on the couch and not in any way reacting to his apparent icy-ness, seeming to be too worried about his disheveled state to notice Paul's preoccupation.

"Would you like to stay for dinner, Nico?" Sally asked gently, trying hard not to scare him but obviously having to forcibly restrain herself from going "mother bear", as Percy called it, on him again.

"Um…uh, well…" He hedged, leaning closer to Percy rather than her.

"Please? It would mean so much to us?" She pleaded, and Paul didn't have to look at her to know she was staring at him with her 'innocent puppy' look.

Nico's eyes went even wider in panic and he glanced back at Percy for help.

Percy shook his head sadly with a smirk. "I've never been able to escape it, you're on your own." He said with a slight laugh in his voice.

Nico looked back at Sally in terror.

"Please Nico?" She asked sweetly, her light blue eyes going just that much wider and her lip curling in a slight pout.

"Um… ok…" He squeaked in a small voice.

"Excellent!" Sally cheered, abruptly back to normal and clapping happily. "I'll go put it on now and we can eat after you boys play another round of monopoly." She chirped, hastily leaving the room.

"Yay!" Tyson cheered while Percy and Paul sighed heavily.

"I've lost hopes of ever winning this game again." Paul sighed.

"True." Percy shrugged, setting up the pieces again with Tyson. "Nico, are you ever going to eat that cake?" Percy demanded, but Nico ignored him, staring at Paul again with a puzzled look.

"Why do you have that diamond?" He asked bluntly and Percy looked surprise, but it was nothing to how Paul felt.

"Uh," He said in shock, glancing at the door to make sure Sally was safely out of hearing range, and slipped the little velvet box with a bright diamond ring resting safely inside it. "How'd you know I had this?" He asked curiously. Nico tilted his head to the side as he stared at the box.

Percy's eyes went wide as he realized what was going on.

"I could sense it—" Nico said simply, but Percy slapped his hand over Nico's mouth to prevent him from saying any more, glaring in warning at him.

"Paul does not need to hear your weirdness, Nico." The older boy frowned, and Nico frowned in confusion for a moment before a flash of realization lit up his eyes and he looked properly abashed. Percy lifted his hand away, still frowning in warning.

"Oops, sorry." Nico shrugged and Percy rolled his eyes. "It's a very nice diamond." Nico told Paul with a slight smirk, and Percy face-palmed.

Paul was fairly certain he didn't want to know how Nico knew that when he had yet to open the box, but let it slide.

He felt like he'd been doing that a lot today, first with Tyson being Percy's brother, then Poseidon and practically everything he said (all inside jokes, he was sure, based on the way Sally and Percy reacted) and then his leaving out the fire escape… which Paul did not buy for one _minute_, thankyouverymuch.

He was out of the loop, not stupid.

And anyway, he was more than happy to see Sally's ex go so suddenly, and it had nothing to do with the face he just saw quite clearly where Percy got his unnatural good looks from and how freaked Sally still was upon seeing her old flame.

But, he pushed all those thoughts away, and concentrated on counting out the money for the game while Percy goaded Nico into eating his cake and stopping Tyson from helping him finish it off.

Paul clutched the little velvet box tightly and slipped it safely back into his pocket. He already had a plan to propose to Sally, and Percy had given his "consent", and at least for tonight, he could let all the craziness going on slide in favor of escaping into his thoughts of planning exactly what he wanted to say.

**(Yes, I know the last chapter didn't really fit into the canon timeline, but I wanted Sally to see her son safely home and get some of Paul's side. It just fit in my head so… yeah.) **

…

**(Oh, and yes Nico is one of my favorite characters and will be making some more appearances with Thalia, because they're awesome.)**


	26. The Prayer

Much to Percy's amusement, and Sally's joy, Nico managed to be tricked and persuaded into staying at the Jackson residence for a full three days before apparently vanishing in the middle of the night.

It was incredible to see how fast and naturally the Jackson's accepted Nico into their lives, and yet how incredibly un-responsive and freaked out Nico was by it all. Neither Percy nor Sally thought anything of buying him clothes without his permission, of kicking Percy out of his room to give Nico a bed, of celebrating every dinner they had with him like it was Thanksgiving, while Nico couldn't stop blushing and trying to escape the attention. Somehow though, Sally managed to corner him every time he made to leave and guilt him into staying, with Percy smirking triumphantly in the background. They were a right little family off the bat, which was remarkable seeing as Sally had only met the young boy the same moment Paul did.

Paul enjoyed the company, but something about it was off…

Paul felt like they were walking on eggshells around him, like they were afraid to say anything for fear of him being there. He knew that happened a lot when it came to Percy and Sally; they had something they didn't wish to share, and that was fine, he could accept that, but it seemed Nico couldn't and it only made everything ten times worse, not to mention awkward.

Feeling like you were being excluded was one thing, actively knowing it and trying hard to ignore it was another.

Over and over again Nico would start to say something and get a hand slapped over his mouth. He'd get this wide, confused/irritated look, and then look at Paul and huff in annoyance.

"Percy, you should listen to Chir-"

"No, we don't really have electricity in the Und-"

"But I've been training! The mons-"

"Oh thank gods that camp-"

"Speaking of, Daedalus said-"

"Oh! Shakespeare's nice, I've met his skelet-"

Paul sighed just thinking about all the unfinished statements that only left him with more questions than answers. He tried to forget about them all, he _really did_, but it was getting harder and harder with the apologetic glances Percy and Sally kept sending his way after they push the young boy from the room after apparently saying something Paul wasn't supposed to hear.

What was worse was that Nico honestly didn't seem to understand why they weren't telling Paul whatever the big secret was, and more than once simply came out and said it when Paul was in the room. Paul couldn't help but think back to Thalia and they loud bluntness she had about her as well that seemed to be mirrored perfectly in her little cousin, and yet, from what he'd heard, they'd only met once or twice.

Paul liked talking to Nico, because he felt he got more answers from the open-book attitude the young boy had over Percy and Sally's restraint, but he also feared he would learn _too_ much and get both himself and the gothic boy in trouble.

But, unlike Percy and Sally, Nico didn't really seem to have much else in his life _beyond_ whatever this secret was. He was asked to open up, but when Paul was in the room, Nico seemed to have to watch every other word he said.

"I'm sorry if I've disrupted whatever reunion you three have going on, I don't mean to get in the way." Paul fretted to Nico, the two in the living room in one of those rare moments when the other two occupants of the apartment were momentarily distracted.

"Whatever." Nico dismissed sitting upside down on the couch casually, staring with wide eyes at the TV playing an old fifties sitcom. Paul didn't understand the boy's fascination with the device, but he gathered that Nico had never even seen a TV before arriving at Percy's birthday party a couple days ago. He all but flipped (_actually_ throwing the cake that time) when Sally turned it on for some music, and through quite a lot of laughing Percy managed to explain what it was, using metaphors and explanations that Paul didn't quite follow and didn't quite see how they pertained to the use of a television, like IMs and automatons.

Nico still acted as if the TV might suddenly jump to life and attack him at any minute, but he was always mesmerized every time someone left it playing.

"I don't even get why they don't tell you. It'd make life a heck-of-a-lot easier." Nico scoffed, not taking his eyes the TV, and Paul frowned at the casual way such a troubling dilemma was displayed.

He sighed. "Perhaps, but I'll leave that to them." He frowned deeper, trying to pay attention to the sitcom.

"You've got more patience than _I_ do, _that's_ for sure." He heard the boy grumble under his breath, and Paul smirked a little in pride.

"So," Paul said, trying to change the subject and make some small talk. "Do you do anything for fun that I am allowed to know about?" He half-joked, but his smile slipped away when Nico frowned in honest concentration, trying to come up with something.

After a beat of silence. "No, not really." He shrugged awkwardly, seeing as he was still upside down.

"Really?" Paul said skeptically. "Not even like… like, what's your favorite color? Or, your favorite food or what books you like…?"

Nico lifted one eyebrow. "Black." He said in a '_no-duh!_' voice, gesturing at the full black-and-skulls get-up he had on. "Don't know, and can't read."

Paul blinked at him, completely thrown.

"Wait a second," He frowned and Nico finally turned from the TV to look him in the eye, awkward as the angle was. "How do you not know what your favorite food is, and _you can't read?_ You're ten right?" This was unacceptable- as a teacher, this was totally and completely _unacceptable!_

Nico rolled his eyes. "I can't tell you why I know I don't know my favorite food, and I can't tell you how old I am or why I don't know that. As for not reading… I _think_ I'm dyslexic though I've never been diagnosed, and I've never been to school before so, no reading for me." He shrugged again.

"You _need_ to go to school." Paul said before he could sensor himself or put much thought into the idea that he might not be the best person to be telling the child this.

Nico rolled his eyes again and turned back to the TV. "You sound like Percy." He grumbled petulantly.

"If you don't want to go to school, at least let me teach you to read!" Paul offered before he could think that through either. He honestly didn't care, there was a child living under a roof he was practically living under too who didn't know how to _read. _

Did he mention how UNACCEPTABLE that concept was to him?

"I don't need to read, I need to talk." Nico huffed, and Paul got the feeling he'd said this many times before. "And since I can speak possibly three languages I think I'm ok for now."

Paul raised a skeptical eyebrow. "_Possibly_ three languages?"

Nico gave him a withering look. "Can't tell you that." He said bluntly.

Paul sighed, biting back the retort. He'd have to talk to Sally and figure out a way to get Nico to want to learn to read. I mean _really, _ not _reading…_?!

"What have you done to Paul, Nico?" Sally smiled, coming in the room and chuckling lightly at the stricken look on Paul's face.

"He's put out I can't read." Nico said flatly, and Sally's grin vanished- her mood shifting on a dime.

"_What?"_ She gasped.

"No, long story, I'll explain later." Percy reassured her, patting her on the shoulder as he moved by, but Paul didn't miss the way his green eyes flashed to Paul for a split second, as if that explained it.

And of course, it did.

Paul suddenly felt very tired.

He didn't want to push, he honestly didn't, but he now felt like more of a burden on the conversation than part of it. Sally obviously adored Nico, and he wouldn't impose on that for anything, but it seemed he couldn't very well sit here and NOT impose. They were tongue tied, trying to talk without cluing him in, and it was hurting their reunion.

And hurting him, if he was being honest.

"I think I'm going to head home, Sally." Paul said gently, standing and moving to her as Percy and Nico started bickering over something on the couch. He smiled a bit, remembering Percy and Thalia argue, and found their arguing just as endearing somehow.

Sally looked genuinely surprised, and that made his heart warm a bit.

"Dinner's in about half an hour though, are you sure? Are you ok?" She fretted, leaning into him as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"No, I'm fine, it's just been a long day. I think I'll call it an early night and talk to you tomorrow, ok?" He brushed her worries off, pecking her on the cheek.

"…ok." She agreed, still looking at him with worried eyes. True, he never did leave this early. He liked the fact that, for her ever-vigilant eyes, she didn't seem to see how out-of-place he felt. Perhaps that meant it really _was_ all in his head.

Yeah, right.

"See you boys." Paul called to the kids on the couch, and they glanced up briefly from their argument to wave goodbye, slipping right back into whatever insults they were throwing at each other. "Bye." He smiled at Sally, who smiled with warm eyes back and kissed him goodnight.

"Tell me tomorrow what's bothering you." She whispered, following him to the door and giving one last wave as he made his way down the hall.

He called a cab back to his own apartment, not really feeling like braving the slow, heavy rain falling steadily down that evening.

He sighed as he leaned back into the dirty, worn leather of the taxi seat and thought of the predicament he was in. He would wait, wait forever to know what he was missing if he could keep Sally and Percy in his life, but he wished it wouldn't hurt as much. It never hurt this much before, it was just…

Just the weather, he thought to himself. Just the dreary, cold weather for late August that made him feel like this. Or, that was what he kept repeating in his head like a chant, like a mantra warding off any other… dejected-like feelings seeming to creep over the veins of his heart like ivy slowly but surely creeping in and breaking apart a stone wall that was long ago forgotten.

He'd never been too religious, but for just this once he closed his eyes as he leaned his head against the cold glass window, fogging it up with his breath, and prayed to whatever deity was listening that it wouldn't hurt like this forever.

Just this once.

And only he never knew, that at that moment, one was actually listening.

…

0000000000000

**Next chapter: The Beginning of the End**


	27. 2nd Kidnapping?

They say when a tragedy happens, people go through five stages to get around to dealing with it: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance.

Whoever "they" are that says all the strange facts you hear on the street and in the whispers behind your back, and however intangible and all-knowing this "they" seem to be, "they" are not often right. "They" are, however, correct in thinking that it takes time and a lot of change in one's heart to accept when life turns right around and shreds the world you've built yourself to pieces and walks away, expecting you to figure out how to glue the little bits back together again.

Not to say that is what happened on the October morning that started off like any other.

It was a Thursday, in fact. Utterly unremarkable, except if you're the unsuspecting mortal that the goddess of love decided to torture *_cough*cough*-_ excuse me, _help_ out of the goodness of her superficial heart.

Luscious blonde hair rolled down her back in ringlets, and her eyes were so blue, they peaked at gray at times. She wore a tight green top and dark wash jeans that graciously hugged her definition-perfect curves and complimented the green high heels and silver jewelry she'd adorned.

Simple, yet far prettier than the most beautiful model a mortal woman could ever hope to become.

Of course, she only looked that way to Percy Jackson as he opened the door to his apartment and momentarily lost track of how to speak.

"Percy? Who is it?" Sally called from inside the apartment.

"Yes, Jackson, have some manners." The goddess smirked in amusement as Percy floundered.

"Uh… ma'am…!" He gasped.

"Percy, I've taught you better than th-!" Sally lost her own words as she came up behind her son and also lost the ability to speak as she caught eye of the woman standing in the doorway.

"Ms. Jackson, I assume? Darling, we _must_ talk!" Aphrodite beamed, brushing past Percy—who didn't bother to try and react—and looping her arm in Sally's, who was completely shocked at the turn of events.

"Uh… Lady Aphrodite…?" Percy said with wide, cautious eyes. Sally's own eyes lit up in realization at who the woman was, and a second later understanding at her son's obvious fear. He'd often said he thought Aphrodite was far scarier than Ares, and in some ways Sally understood it even better than her son did. She, after all, was a teenage girl once and knew just how painful a broken heart could be—definitely more than a broken arm any day.

Irrationally, Sally supposed, she was instinctively glad Paul was not here at the moment to see the beautiful goddess and that her boyfriend had taken to avoiding their apartment while Nico was hanging around. Part of her knew how that must hurt Paul, but part of her was thankful he understood enough to know when he shouldn't be hearing the things Nico said—until Percy and her decided to key him in, that is. Percy has mentioned it many times already, and it was definitely in the works at the moment, but for the time being they were at a loss of how to approach the subject. Time, as a result, slipped away quickly as they procrastinated the imminent, sure to be difficult conversation. Percy seemed to hint that there was another reason or two that they needed to key him in quickly, making the prospect ever more urgent, but he still couldn't figure out the best way to approach the subject. Their fretting was momentarily put it on hold when Nico showed up and Paul "coincidentally" had writers seminars to attend and paper to grade that required him staying after school late. The conversation wouldn't happen until after Nico left, at the very least, though they didn't know how much longer they could keep up this delay. They were very good at it after all, seeming to be able to put off talking about how Percy was supposed to be killed next August indefinitely. At least Nico gave them a good reason to delay it.

The son of Hades, who seemed to prefer wandering the streets and the Underworld or wherever he spent his time rather than accept their hospitality, had taken up residence on their couch for the weekend as a result of Percy's refusal to accept that the younger boy had never experienced Halloween before- or, that he could remember at least, though they doubted Halloween was that big in the middle of World War II anyway. When Lady Aphrodite arrived, Sally herself has been in the midst of setting out candy and decorating for the plethora of demigods set to stop by next week for the party her son and her nephew we excitedly throwing.

Nico had yet to understand the point of Thanksgiving or Christmas despite Sally's extensive explanations, but he seemed to enjoy the concept of Halloween immensely. He claimed a night celebrating dead things with lots of candy was a good night in his book.

Even if her son looked more uncomfortable than a demigod in a spelling bee, she was still thankful the goddess chose now to show up (though why she'd show up at all is a mystery) rather than a week when Paul would undoubtedly be hanging out around the apartment too. She wasn't a jealous girlfriend, so to speak, but she doubted anyone would feel totally at ease when the definition of absolute beauty was in the same room as your boyfriend.

"No, no, dear, it wasn't a coincidence." Aphrodite broke Sally's train of thoughts, and with a little shiver of fear Sally realized that _of course _the goddess would know every time she let her thoughts stray to her boyfriend or her family. She probably had 'love radar' or something of the like, but either way, it unnerved the usually unshakable mortal.

"Um… not to be rude, uh, but… what… are you doing here exactly?" Percy mumbled rather dully, seeming to shift away from the love goddess unconsciously.

"Talking to my latest project." The blonde happily chirped, waving Percy off without even looking in his direction, her unnaturally shifting eyes glued to Sally's blue ones.

Sally gulped.

"I-I'm honored my Lady, but I don't think I understand…" Sally said politely, but blushed a little (or a lot) as the goddess's words started to sink in.

"Oh silly!" Aphrodite giggled unnecessarily. "I've got a prayer that needs to be answered. Two actually, and I thought I'd use it as an excuse for a little girl time!" She gushed with a rather evil smile gracing her perfect, cherry blossom lips.

Before they could react she slipped her arm into Sally's and pulled her out the door. Percy couldn't even blink and they were gone- the front door closed like it'd never been opened. He blinked again and wrenched it open.

"Mom!?" He called glancing up and down the hallway, but there was no sign of them.

"Why would she be in the hall?" A voice said, and Percy jumped slightly, spinning on the spot to see Nico looking confused at him.

"Uh… I think Aphrodite just kidnapped my mom." Percy said in a stunned voice.

Nico raised one dark eyebrow. "You've got issues, you know that right?" He said bluntly. "Isn't this the second time she's been kidnapped by a god?"

Percy scowled at him. "It's not my fault the gods won't leave me alone. Or my _mom_ for that matter." He snapped half-heartedly, still rather confused.

"Wonder if it has anything with Paul and that diamond he carries around." Nico said offhandedly, seeming to be over the situation already as he walked back and collapsed onto the couch.

Percy blinked, considering that. "…maybe." He allowed, walking over and sitting next to him. "And you don't think I should be worried?" He confirmed, watching Nico with wary eyes.

Nico shrugged, trying to figure out which button on the remote would turn the TV on, and glaring at the device as he tried to decipher the words on it. "I could see being concerned when dad took her, but Aphrodite? They probably went shopping." He dismissed.

Percy pursed his lips.

"Guess you're right…" He allowed, worry still nagging at the back of his mind. "…I'll give them until dinner." He decided.

"You do that." Nico said, uncaring, finally pressing a button. Unfortunately, it turned on the stereo system, which happened to have been turned on up to max volume in his fiddling and switched to a rather loud pop station on the radio.

Both boys jumped, but Nico was so startled he actually fell off the couch, which did more than sufficient to amuse Percy enough to make him momentarily forget about his "kidnapped" mother.


	28. Lady A

"Darling, I honestly don't know what my Uncle did to find you, but I approve." Aphrodite cooed, as she held up yet another dress in front of Sally, tilting her head in consideration before shrugging and tossing it carelessly over her shoulder. Four employees of the fifth avenue boutique they were in scrambled to be the one to catch the dress, their eyes glazed over from whatever spell the love goddess had charmed them with. There was no one else in the store, and Sally couldn't decide if that was coincidence or the goddess's doing, but was leaning towards the latter.

"Thank you, my Lady." Sally said weakly, blushing for what felt like the thousandth time.

"Honey, stop being so bashful! You've got that vintage-beauty thing going for ya, work it!" Aphrodite's now-black-and-gray streaked hair fell in barrel curls over her shoulders, and her blazing brown eyes glittered as she spun around, scooping up dresses and shirts, obviously having a great time picking out things for Sally to wear. The mortal only blushed at the skin-tight red dress she suddenly found herself wearing and the cat calling Aphrodite was doing in approval.

"I appreciate this, my Lady, I really do, but I don't think this is really… _me."_ Sally hedged, catching sight of herself in the mirror and turning bright red in mortification. "I _am_ a mother after all…" She said with a note of begging that Aphrodite finally seemed to acknowledge.

"Oh, very well." She sighed, picking out another outfit and Sally relaxed just a little as she was suddenly wearing a much more reasonable brown dress with beautiful red accents and curls in the fabric. "Oh so tame…" The goddess sighed in defeat. "But, not altogether unworkable… you _could've_ pulled that dress off you know, you've got the figure for it, which isn't something all moms can say." She huffed, gracefully skipping through the racks of clothes, eyes only half-trained on the outfits as she seemed to have her head half somewhere else too, giving her a very air-head-like aura.

Sally blushed, brushing her hair over her shoulder and turning slightly to look at the dress she was now wearing in the mirror. She had to admit it was breathtakingly beautiful, even if she wasn't the fashion type. "I'm honored you think so ma'am, but I'm not nearly as… confident, I suppose." She shifted uncomfortably, eyeing the way the dress dipped unreasonably low in the back, exposing her shoulders, back, and even lower back—which was about a thousand times too much exposure as she was ok with wearing in public.

Aphrodite tisked.

"Darling, being confident is only half the battle." She said matter-of-factly, but said nothing else.

They'd been here for forty minutes already, on top of the two hours they'd spent in seven other shops, and other than the goddess of love seeming hell-bent on finding a dress Sally would not only like but also fit her standards, Sally had no clue why the goddess had decided to kidnap her. She wondered vaguely if Percy would come looking for her, but quickly decided her son probably wouldn't think she was in too much danger. Shopping, wearisome as it could be, wasn't life-threatening, and it didn't take much to figure out that was what Aphrodite meant when she said 'girl time'.

"Tell me then, if you don't like any of these, what exactly you're looking for." Aphrodite said, leafing through the racks absentmindedly, but Sally thought she heard more to that question that what it was on the surface.

"Um… something that covers…" She murmured, blushing at the strapless green dress with a mermaid train she was suddenly in. She clutched her arms across her chest in embarrassment.

"So modest." Aphrodite sighed. Sally relaxed a little at the simple black, knee-length cocktail dress she was now in. "Other than being so _conservative, _what are you looking for?" She insisted, turning back with three hangers and experimentally holding them up in preoccupation.

Sally shifted, looking at her reflection.

"Um… I suppose I'm ok with anything, my lady. I'm not… _fashionable _really_."_

"There is nothing you'd want to change? Nothing you'd want to highlight, like your hair or your eyes or your legs? Nothing you'd want to hide?" The goddess pestered, flipping rapidly through dresses so fast that Sally didn't have time to even realize her dress was changing much less really see them.

"Uh… no, I'm content." She insisted weakly, her head spinning a bit from the rapid flush of colors and fabric. She knew she wasn't the most beautiful woman on earth, but she also knew she wasn't that bad either. She took care of herself, but more for health and for setting example for Percy, though with his demigod traits, he could eat junk food all he wanted and still turn out strong and healthy, but he was a good kid like that anyway.

She didn't hate her appearance, but it was _her_ appearance. She was herself, and she didn't love it or hate it: it was just _her. _Spending money she didn't have on clothes she didn't need was no use. Of course she didn't wear sweats out- she _did_ wear decent looking things when appropriate- but if the people she was around really cared about what she was wearing, she was obviously talking to the wrong people.

"So… modest, but other than that, you don't care what you wear?" The goddess said, not with a frown or disappointment as Sally half-expected her to, more like she way fishing for a certain answer. It made her wary to answer again.

"Um… not… really?" Sally allowed.

Aphrodite abandoned the racks and came up to look into the mirror next to her. Sally suddenly felt aggressively average standing next to the quintessence of beauty, but goddess simply brushed he dark hair out of the way and tilted her head to the side in consideration.

"So why not doll yourself up for a date?" She wondered with that clueless air about her again, that Sally didn't trust for a minute.

"A d-date?" Sally stuttered in surprise.

"With that nice teacher man, yes." Aphrodite nodded happily, and Sally spluttered, not really sure how to respond to that. How _does_ one respond when the goddess of love started offering dating advice? "You don't care what you wear, but looking good for him would be fun, yes?" She demanded, and Sally could only shrink away and nod lightly.

"Paul doesn't care what I wear though," She said softly, smiling a bit remembering all the times her boyfriend had called her beautiful, even when she knew she wasn't at her best. He always called her beautiful.

"Well that's love darling." Aphrodite dismissed, her unnatural eyes twinkling happily. "Blind as all be it, and yet only ever truth." She nodded in satisfaction.

Sally was taken aback, stricken with the profound statement coming from the bubble-headed seeming woman.

"But just because he only ever sees the beauty in you, doesn't mean you can't have a little fun _really_ amping it up. Trust me, even the nicest guys get a little flustered when a pretty girl goes hot on them… in fact, the nicest guys actually have the _best_ reactions." She tittered excitedly, gesturing to Sally who suddenly found herself in a deep blue floor length number with cap sleeves and a deep (but not too deep) v-neck, intricate cut. It had a slit up both sides that went all the way up her legs, but veiled it nicely and gave it a flowing, watery-like motion. Sliver lace curled patterns from the floor up on side, and matched the same patterns on her sleeves that hung to the crease in her elbow with the same graceful, liquid movement.

Sally blinked, only able to stare in shock at the stranger in the mirror. It was her, and yet…

"So much more." Aphrodite seemed to finish her thoughts for her. "Beauty doesn't come from the fabric sweetie, it comes from the person wearing it. It can only be so much more when you know what you're doing. A dress is just a dress until it matches the personality underneath it. Which…" She reached out and took Sally's hand, making her spin once to get the full effect in the mirrors. "It simply stunning when it goes right."

Sally could only stare in wonder. She wasn't into dresses, but this…

"You know, finding the right dress is a lot like finding the right man. In your case, I found you both."

Sally turned sharply to the love goddess and could feel her face betray her shock. As much as she loved Paul (no DUH) she felt a shiver a fear as she realized perhaps it wasn't totally her doing.

"Relax hon, not like that." Aphrodite said gently, helping her down from the platform she was standing on and holding her hand softly. "My uncle would never forgive me if I went messing with your life… I simply mean that it isn't very often a mortal would be quite as selfless and quite as understanding, especially after discovering about the gods. You have no idea how many guys I sent your way, hoping for a spark, and all you ever did was nod and wave on the street as you passed…. You weren't interested in any of them! I practically had to resort to _throwing_ the teacher your way, quite _literally_ hitting you with him to make you pay attention… and I think it all turned out ok, right? Paul Blofis is as kind a man as any, and even Uncle approves."

Sally blinked in shock again. She knew Poseidon had met Paul once, but… she felt her heart thud painfully in an onslaught of emotion at the idea that her old flame was ok with her new fire.

Aphrodite smiled kindly, sensing the chaotic flood of thoughts and emotions Sally was trying to figure out.

"What I'm saying is that a dress is only good when it can be worn. Other than that… it's just a bit of fabric on a wire." She murmured.

Sally didn't know why, but she felt tears prick behind her eyes, and suddenly the shop around them blurred.

"I've been so terrible to him." Sally realized. She suddenly knew that keeping Paul away was the worst thing they could do—fear or not, it wasn't right. Even if she lost him, holding him here indefinitely with no good reason to stay wasn't right. It just wasn't right.

"Love it patient, Love is kind…" Aphrodite quoted, her chirping voice bright and happy, yet subdued to match Sally's whisper. She caught Sally's chin and pulled her face up to meet the goddess's mesmerizing gaze. "Love is forgiving." She smiled.

Sally closed her eyes, willing that to be true. Hoping it would be.

She opened her eyes and was looking at the door to her apartment. She blinked a little in disoriented shock, shifting a little. She glanced down in surprise and saw the beautiful sapphire fabric she'd just been wearing draped over her arm, covered in the protective plastic wrapping like dry cleaners used. On top of it was a note, with perfect cursive writing on rose scented, pink paper.

_A dress is only good if it's going to be worn. _

_-Lady A_


	29. Lo Mien

**Hello internet. **

**So, it was pointed out that Aphrodite is a daughter of a Titan or something, but I didn't do my research and just sorta assumed she was a daughter of Zeus... though now that I think about it, I know Ares is a son of Hera and Zeus, and dating his sister would be weird… not to mention she's married to Hephaestus who is DEFINITELY a son of Zeus and Hera b/c that's how he got all bumpy…**

**Oh well, probably won't be mentioned again and I don't feel like fixing it so, just roll with it :D**

**Also, yes I know I suck for not updating, writers block's a bitch. Thank **_**Rise of The Guardians**_** for my newfound inspiration (but I'm not starting THOSE stories until my current Percy Jackson ones are FINISHED)**

**Yeah, sorry about that.**

**Enjoy! **

**Oh, and **_**M.S.K, **_**what does "Kawaiiiiiiiiii!" mean exactly?**

**0000000000000**

"What do you mean _kidnapped?"_ Paul frowned.

"Shopping." Nico supplied unhelpfully.

"Well, we don't know that exactly, but we're guessing it's for shopping." Percy clarified with an exasperated look cast towards his little cousin for his usual blunt way of putting things. "An old uh… friend, I guess, stopped by and took her… somewhere. She's really into the girly stuff, so we're guessing shopping." He explained calmly.

"Should we call to double check? I mean, we were supposed to have dinner tonight and it's not like Sally to just forget about it; perhaps we should just call to-"

"Not unless you wanna get shot down by pink lighting. I wouldn't." Nico said matter-of-factly.

Percy looked like he wanted to cuff Nico over the head but simply took a deep, calming breath instead.

"First off, it wouldn't be _pink lightning_, it'd be a horde of angry doves or something like that," He shot at Nico. And to Paul, "And secondly, she left her phone here. It was sort of an impromptu thing, but I'm sure they'll be ok. I'm gonna give them another hour and if they're not back then we'll go see if-"

"Percy?" Sally's voice interrupted them as they heard the front door open.

"Oh, no need." Percy sighed, and despite his calming words, looked just as relieved as Paul felt when Sally walked through the door, a blue dress draped over her arm. "Mom, you ok?" His voice suddenly took on a sharper tone, and Paul focused through his initial relief to see her ok to notice the tears pooled at the corners of her eyes.

He would've been up and giving her a hug in an instant, if Percy hadn't somehow materialized across the room, using some sort of speed and dexterity Paul hadn't known humans capable of, much less Percy.

"Are you ok? What did she do? I swear, if she pulled you into some insane quest or was messing with your head I'm gonna-!"

"No, no, I'm fine, just a little overwhelmed." Sally waved her son off, cupping his cheek lovingly in her hand, eyes twinkling in delight as his caring gesture. Some part of Paul's brain wondered why Percy—who not a minute ago was comforting him that everything was fine—looked so angry at the thought of whoever took Sally shopping getting her involved in something, and also wondered just what threat he was going to finish his sentence with. Percy was a pretty peaceful, easy-going guy, but the tense posture he currently held as well as the sincere spark of anger in his eyes made Paul think that perhaps he was capable of more, and willing too, at least when it came to protecting those he loved.

Percy himself was mentally threatening Aphrodite (terrified as he was of her) that if she harmed/messed with his mom she was SO going to regret it. He had no clue what on earth he'd do, but by Hades hewould_ do it._ It would probably start with a call to Annabeth for ideas, and then probably Thalia (who loved his mom and also hated Aphrodite, being an eternal maiden now and all so she'd always be on board), and he guessed Nico would help too, even if just for kicks. That alone was a decent group that could do something to a goddess if they tried, and he was insane enough for all of them to go through with it (possibly pissing off her, as well as her boyfriend who already hated his guts and wanted him dead). It wasn't the smartest idea, but it was his MOM.

He'd gone to the Underworld and back for her, angering the Love Goddess would not be the stupidest thing he'd done when protecting his mother.

But, his internal plotting was put on hold when Sally spoke again, this time derailing his thought process.

"Gods I'm beat… Paul, do you think you could get the Chinese take-out menu from the kitchen and we can order in tonight? I'm not in the mood to cook, shopping is _exhausting._"She sighed with a gentle smile to her boyfriend, who seemed surprised but totally willing. Paul still looked happy she was ok, for the most part.

"Also depends on who you're shopping _with."_ Nico muttered under his breath, but they ignored him.

Percy was immediately suspicious, noticing the way his mom said "gods", when she was usually so careful with that stuff when Paul was around. Paul, who'd long ago gotten used to the weird things that they said and did, didn't even bat an eye at the slip and just got up to get the menu.

Neither teenager said anything, knowing Sally was going to speak the moment he was out of earshot.

"We need to tell him." She said quickly and quietly once Paul was safely in the kitchen.

"Tell him what?" Percy frowned.

"Everything." Sally whispered, eyes wide with meaning.

Percy blinked in surprise, but then slowly nodded. "We've been meaning to get around to it for a long time now, I guess. Did Aphrodite prompt this?" He asked warily.

Sally relaxed in relief, glad he was willing to go through with this. They _had_ already talked about it before, but it was just a matter of _when_ specifically they would.

"Pretty much." She admitted with a sigh. "She just wanted to point out that love was patient, but useless if kept on a shelf. I just… we've been so cruel, stringing him along and…" She trailed off, tears pooling again.

"I know." Percy agreed with a small, comforting smile. He turned and glanced at Nico over his shoulder. "You wanna hang around for a family special moment?" He asked with a smirk.

"Uh, _no."_ Came the immediate reply. "Save me some lo mien." And with that he was gone, a slight shiver in temperature rippling through the room as the shadows seemed to flutter as he exited through them.

"Where'd Nico go?" Paul asked, walking back in the room with the menu in hand.

"He took a walk." Percy said with a sly smile and Paul gave him a suspicious/doubtful look (the same one he always gave when they said things like, "_Poseidon left through the fire escape."_ or "_That poodle must be unusually strong to knock over a car like that!"_ and things of that nature)

"Right." He said, not pushing it but definitely with a beat of sarcasm. "I suppose he wants lo mien then?" He asked, taking a seat on the couch as Percy and Sally exchanged loaded looks. They were having a silent conversation, and after a few moments of quiet with no answer, Paul looked up from the menus to look questioningly at them. "Guys?" He caught their attention.

"Uh… perhaps we could wait to order for a bit." Sally said slowly, carefully laying the dress she'd come in with over an armchair and taking a seat next to Paul. "We… have something we need to tell you."

"Ok." Paul agreed easily, putting the menus on the coffee table and looking at the expectantly. He didn't look suspicious or anything, just content to listen to what they had to say. Somehow, that made it harder—knowing he'd always been willing to hear it and they'd never been able to say it.

"So… you know all the Greek stuff you like? That _I_ like, I guess." Percy said uncertainly, stealing a glance from his mother as he perched himself on the arm of an armchair facing the couple on the couch.

"Yes, I'm aware." Paul smiled in amusement at the strange start.

"Well, I… I didn't actually read any of it really. Well, I _did_ read it, but—hey!" He seemed to come up short and realized something. He got up and darted out of the room, and was back a few seconds later with a book in his hand. He tossed it to Paul as he took his seat again. "It's my copy of the _Iliad_ and the _Odyssey_." He said smugly, seeming proud he'd thought of it.

Paul looked wary, but glanced down at the book. He looked back up and opening his mouth as if he were about to comment, but did a quick double take and _really _looked at the cover. He quickly flipped through the first pages, then the rest of it hastily, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"What is this? Not English…" He said in shock.

"Ancient Greek." Percy said with a proud smile.

"Impossible, that language has been dead for over two millennia!"Paul dismissed, running his hands over the words on the page, frown increasing as he tried to comprehend it, and—not surprisingly— failed.

"No, not centuries, it was spoken yesterday. It never died. The gods didn't die either, they just… moved. Mount Olympus—not the actual mountain, but the mountain the gods live on—has been steadily traveling west with the center of human civilization for many millennia. It's in New York now, actually." Percy explained carefully.

Paul finally looked up from the book to give him the doubtful/suspicious look again.

"Percy, that's an interesting theological theory I'd love to get into a debate with you about some time, but to claim this is actually Ancient Greek is rather… inaccurate. If it _were_ Ancient Greek, it'd be under some heavy security in a museum, not available at your local book store." Paul frowned, shaking his head.

"Well, I didn't get it from a book store, I got it from my camp counselor, Chiron." Percy said, frowning now at Paul's immediate dismissal.

Paul nodded in agreement, "Your counselor from the Greek themed camp."

"No, THE Chiron—the _original_ Chiron, who's like thousands of years old— my trainer from my _Greek_ camp. As in, not Greek **themed** but _legitimately_ Ancient Greek. Only, not so ancient—they _do_ serve pizza." Percy insisted.

"It can't be legitimately 'Ancient Greek' if it's in New York, much less still open today." Paul pointed out, smiling like this debate was some game they were playing.

"_No,"_ Percy huffed in frustration, noticing Paul's joking attitude towards the conversation. "As in that is _actually_ Ancient Greek writing because the Greek gods _didn't_ die thousands of years ago but are alive and well and their language has survived with them! Paul, I've _met_ several gods, trust me when I say they're alive. Mom's even met some too!"

"Percy, I respect all religious beliefs— though I find it interesting I could've known you this long and through all our debates never unearthed that you actually had faith in the existence of the gods— but in that respect, there's the idea that you need to acknowledge there are _other_ beliefs that could arguably be feasible, and there are no religions that are a hundred percent _correct_, just like there's no proof or facts supporting-"

He was cut off when Sally rested her hand on his arm to stop him. She gave him a small, sad little smile.

Percy was fuming. Paul had just gone "teacher" on him, and that wasn't what this conversation was supposed to be like. Paul wasn't supposed to _argue…_ oh, where was Annabeth when you needed her?! In his frustration he couldn't think up a good argument or response and just settled for getting even angrier until Sally decided to cut in. It was sort of an unspoken thing that this topic was something Percy had to be the one to tell Paul about, but it had somehow crossed over to the point where an adult needed to step in. Not that Paul didn't respect Percy, but he was just a teenager in his eyes, and Sally was an adult, even if not the authority on the Greek world in this conversation.

"Don't tell me _you…_" Paul started to joke, but trailed off when Sally's serious, comforting gaze didn't falter. He stared at her for a long minute. "You… _don't_, do you?"

"Paul…" Sally sighed wearily.

"You _do!"_ Paul gaped, mouth hanging open at her.

She smiled in sad amusement and gently used her finger to lift his chin and close his jaw again.

"As Percy mentioned… I have also met a few gods in my life. Three actually, and the last one was this afternoon."

Paul stared in disbelief at her. "Who?" Was all he could say, though by his tone they still couldn't tell if he believed them yet or not.

"Lady Aphrodite." Sally said calmly, nodding to the dress that Paul whipped his head around to throw a puzzled glance at, and then back to her in disbelief. "A few years ago I met Lord Hades in an… unfortunate occurrence, and… almost sixteen years ago I also met Lord Poseidon… in Montauk actually…." She trailed off, looking rather conflicted about saying more and at a loss for words.

Quite unexpectedly, Paul let out a sharp laugh. "_Poseidon?_ As in, Poseidon your ex and Percy's father? Did he tell you-?!"

"_No."_ Sally said so sharply it was almost a yell, and it shut everyone up right away, making the room drop three degrees even though Nico wasn't presently there. Sally _never_ raised her voice much less spoke that way to _anyone._ "Don't you _dare_ finish that sentence." She told Paul firmly, and he could only stare at her in shock and alarm. "You know me, and you know that I'm no fool. If you were about to insinuate that he _lied_ as a means to an end, then you obviously do not know me as well as you thought you did."

Paul flushed deep red, looking absolutely mortified. "N-no, Sally, I didn't… I just…"

"I know." She said calmly, patting his hand comfortingly, her sharp tone gone as soon as it had come, but even Percy was staring at her looking slightly freaked at the side of his mom he hadn't known existed.

"Paul," She said evenly, and he blinked at her. She looked him square in the eye and said as seriously and gently as she could: "Listen to him. You've always wondered about things: why Percy disappears, why I fear he might not come home, why we hide things with half-lies and never explained what was really going on… well, this is that explanation. You once told me you knew that if you and Percy didn't end up getting along, I would chose him over every and anything… and you were right. What Percy's saying now is his life, his _reality_ and the truth of our life_, _and if you can't accept it, or at least keep an open mind to listen… honey, please don't make me say it." She said firmly, but with a hint of pleading as she gripped his hand tighter.

Paul blinked, shocked.

"Blind faith." He blurted out, it seeming to be the first thing to come to his mind.

"Only, not blind anymore." Percy said, relaxing now that Paul seemed to be getting over his joking approach to this, and taking it more seriously (though coincidentally now looking completely shell-shocked). "Listen… you know you're already part of the family, that's just a given, but… our family is also a bit more unusual than you might think. I don't have a normal life, and that sorta means mom doesn't either. And now you, if you want to listen."

Paul stared at him as if he'd never seen the teenager before, for a long moment before nodding.

"O-of course. I'm sorry for dismissing… I just… _really?_ You believe- I mean there are—but there _can't-!"_

"Just listen," Percy sighed, slipping into the armchair properly as he cut off Paul's stuttering. "I don't know much about other religions, and I get your point from earlier that anything's possible and you can't just dismiss other religions—which is totally true—and I'm not doubting that. What I'm saying is that there are the theories you love to debate and there's the fact that the Greek gods are alive and well and currently living in New York city. It's not my theory, it's my life and the reason I sometimes disappear to go off and go on a quest for that. The reason we didn't tell you and the reason we lied was firstly because you would have the same reaction you're having now and probably wouldn't have believed us after only knowing us a couple months, and secondly because mortals typically just don't get told very often; sometimes they just don't react well, and we wanted to make sure you could handle it. You've proved more times that we can count you can accept the unreal, and it's our bad for delaying it. We're sorry about keeping it hidden for so long, but… my life especially is… complicated." He sighed tiredly.

"More dangerous than most." Sally sighed quietly, and Paul finally tore his eyes away from the boy to give her a wide, slightly afraid stare.

She only smiled comfortingly back.

And he kept staring.

"W-why… why _you?_ I-I-I mean… w-why more dangerous t-than most?" He finally stuttered out, seeming to struggle at wrapping his brain around this conversation.

Percy pursed his lips, already seeing the strings unraveling around Paul as he barely kept himself together, and didn't want to push him over the top with one more… rather big detail.

Sally tightened her grip around his hand and Paul quickly looked back and forth between the two with wide, frightened eyes at what their answer would be.

Percy just gave a silent, defeated sigh.

"Remember when you met my dad at my birthday party…?"


	30. Sandcastles

**Hello Internet. **

**I've said it before, and it turned out to be complete and utter lies, so I'll say it again with qualifiers this time. **

**I HOPE my ongoing battle with writers block is finally over with me coming out on top. **

**That said, it had a nasty habit of stabbing me in the back when I'm not looking. **

**This chapter kinda popped out of nowhere, inspired by a discussion in my organic chemistry class on the chemical composition of snail slime that is the origin of tyrian purple and also the reason the Greeks and Romans thought purple the color of royalty. **

**Random, but I'll take it. **

**And besides, that story is freakin **_**fascinating**_** stuff right there (****yes**** I'm a nerd, don't judge), and is totally going to make an appearance/reference in one of my PJO stories. Not sure which one yet, but by the gods it **_**will**_** be in there eventually. **

**And it'll be featured. **

**With Jason. **

**And a water nymph. **

**Or something. **

**I'll figure it out when I get there. **

**Any who. **

**Enjoy **

**0000000000000**

Small.

That was how Paul felt.

That feeling you get when you stand at the top of the Empire State building and watch all the ant-like people milling about way down on earth, or watching a video of a sunrise from the space station and the mass of our unbelievably massive home planet slowly and silently moving so unbelievably far below…

The feeling you got when you watched Mt. St. Helens crumble to ashes before your very eyes or footage of an active war zone when a nineteen year old kid goes down with a bullet and you get this oddly closed-up feeling in your throat…

That was how Paul felt.

He decided a good word to describe it was _small._

He felt very much alone, very much confused, very much… not betrayed exactly, more… cheated. Not from anything Sally or Percy had ever done, but cheated in a broader sense. He felt cheated by life itself that it never thought to mention the fact that the gods existed.

The GREEK gods, the gods Paul knew nearly everything about thanks to many, many classes and seminars and continued learning programs. He'd spent the greater portion of his life learning and teaching others about these supposedly mythical beings, and now…

Had he done it wrong? He felt like he should've been teaching it differently all along now that said beings he taught about were _alive_ and _out there_ somewhere, rather than just stories old authors came up with to teach a lesson.

He was excited that they _were_ real, I mean, all that time and pondering about mythology to now learn it was _real_ and could be _found_ and _witnessed_ (by someone, if not him)… well, it was more than a dream come true to him, and a part of him jumped at the chance to believe it, a part of him _wanted_ more than anything to go back to Sally's apartment and start asking the questions the educator side of him was quickly compiling in curiosity.

But… another part of him kept him where he was, standing on the roof of the Jackson's apartment building, staring at the twilight sky as the sun sank below the city skyline. He had no clue what he was supposed to be thinking about or considering, all he knew was that he couldn't move and was silently freaking out with his hands pushed deep in his pockets and shoulders slightly hunched at the brisk wind beating gently at his back.

It wasn't bad.

No, all this definitely wasn't something _bad_, not even close something that would have him considering leaving permanently, but it was alarming enough that he needed a moment to breathe. He'd left his wallet and apartment keys on their living room coffee table as a clear message that he wasn't going far, and both Sally and Percy had smiled understandingly as he asked for a moment to think.

The only problem was that he'd been standing here for a good forty minutes now and still had no clue where to even _start_ thinking.

He kinda felt like crying, yelling, and laughing all at once, so he settled for watching the cars drift by lazily on the street below. He might've been watching the sky, if not for the fact that every time he looked up at the slowly setting sun his mind started listing off all the facts he knew about the god Apollo.

No, he'd just look at the cars for now.

Perhaps it was the past year or so of forcing himself to accept things he couldn't comprehend, but for some reason he instinctively knew Sally and Percy were telling the truth. As he stood here debating, he found himself not thinking of IF they were telling the truth, but what the heck he was supposed to do now that he knew it too.

It wasn't much, but he called that progress.

The gods were real… he supposed he could handle that information…now what?

The gods were real… so… what exactly did that mean? For him? His life wasn't going to change drastically except for the fact he wouldn't be able to look at the sun again without thinking Apollo, and he wouldn't have to worry where someone went when they died because he now knew they'd be in the underworld with Lord Hades.

He mentally shuddered.

Ok, creepy as it was, that was progress too.

He could deal with that little stuff, right? And, he'd have Sally beside him to explain it, right? He may have been a little late to the party, but he wasn't alone in this: both Sally and Percy wanted him to know this for a reason, hence why'd they told him today, and they were truly very kind people, meaning he could ask his questions and they wouldn't judge… if he could just not judge himself for putting a voice to the insane questions popping up in his brain.

Like, it was one thing to wonder about what the gods look like, but another to ask a fifteen year old boy who would _actually know the answer._

He kinda felt like the moment he asked, someone would laugh and call him crazy or obsessed, just like they normally did when he verbally pondered Greek mythology like that.

But that exact reasoning returned him back to his main dilemma:

How incredibly, painfully, _small_ he felt.

Ordinary.

Insignificant.

_Small._

Whether it was the idea that there were entities out there so far beyond him that his life was essentially an ant under a boot to them, or the idea that the fifteen year old boy he'd thought he'd once known was half god and by all means should also see him as an insect, _or_ the idea that Sally had once upon a time loved, and in return _been loved_, by a god that he nor any other mortal man on earth could ever live up to… well, whatever the reason, it didn't make him feel too important.

The family he'd found in Sally and Percy had always been perfect to him, and now he learned they were comically more divine that he'd ever imagined. Not only _was_ Percy half divine, but Sally was wonderful and extraordinary enough to be worthy of a **god**.

There was no way plain old _him_ could ever amount in any way to that.

He was as far from a god as one could get—he was very, very mortal, and very, very plain, and very, very overwhelmed with the idea he'd inadvertently been trying to live up to a reputation that couldn't possibly every be lived up to.

Just a tiny speck of sand next to the entire damn ocean.

If that didn't make you feel small, then your ego was too big.

Then again… Paul was here. Poseidon wasn't.

At that party in August, Percy had seemed floored upon seeing his father, and Sally was still obviously flustered, which combined did not help Paul in not feeling so small, but Poseidon had left just as quickly as he'd come with barely a footprint left on their lives.

For a god, he was not the steady lover or supportive father figure the Jackson family needed. While Paul couldn't conjure up hurricanes or go one-on-one with Titans and Giants, he _could_ be home for dinner pretty regularly. Maybe he didn't govern the seven oceans and alter the tides with a wave of his hand, but he _did _do a decent job at helping Percy with his English homework.

No, he wasn't a god.

But maybe Sally and Percy didn't need a god, maybe they just needed a man who cared enough to stick around and be there when they needed him. Maybe not when the world is ending, but to be there on all the ordinary days in between, when your biggest issue was a rude coworker or a bad test grade.

He could do that.

In fact, he'd been _planning_ on doing that for ages now.

Normal life. He could do that.

Because, Percy apparently didn't get to live normal life too often and Sally spent about double that time worrying about the paranormal life, so… he would be their regular constant. He wouldn't be a god—he _couldn't_ be a god—but he'd be the one to keep them rooted in the mortal world, their regular and constant factor in a very chaotic lifestyle.

He would try.

So… maybe he still felt small, but at least he now knew that his tiny piece was the one little bit that even the gods couldn't fill.

It wasn't much, but he called that progress.


End file.
